Heritage of the Wolf: Salvation, Part 1
by The Cool Kat
Summary: Looking to start a new life in the Last Frontier, a young husky named Jenna and her human family move to Nome, Alaska in 1922, where she finds herself swept up in a whirlwind love triangle between heroic half-wolf Balto, and malevolent malamute Steele.
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

**_Chapter 1: Introduction_**

Hello all you Balto fans out there, I'm The Cool Kat, another devoted fan of Balto franchise (some say that I'm almost obsessed due to the fact that I'm a teenager who still likes to watch kiddie movies). But there is just something about the movie "**_Balto_**" (1995) that just brings me to tears every time I watch it, along with it's tragic sequel "**_Wolf Quest_**" (2002), and it's slightly more comedic sequel "**_Wings of Change_**" (2005).

I first started writing Balto-related stories in late 2009, short stories that were no more than 20 pages long, and were directly tied into the movie's continuity. But after reading some more Balto stories from other fans, I loosened the continuity of my own, and starting taking Balto and his friends on new adventures every week, from the sleepy town of Nome, to the farthest reaches of outer space.

My main inspiration came from 90's fanfiction author, Cyberwulfe. From 1995 to 2001, Cyberwulfe was one of the most well known authors of Balto fanfiction across the internet (which was still pretty small during the 1990s, so practically everybody knew about him). So when the year 2010 finally came around, I decided it was time to post my stories online, and to also pay tribute to my idol. I asked the now-retired author for permission to re-write his stories, and started remaking some of Cyberwulfe's most famous works. Along with the traditional Cyberwulfe stories, I also added in a few of my own, rewriting some so they would tie in with Cyberwulfe's, and rewriting a few of his so they would tie in with mine.

I started with Cyberwulfe's very first story, "**_Puppy Love_**", which deals with Balto and Jenna's past, and their newly open relationship. Originally, I though of writing it as just one great big novel, but I estimated that it would be over 700 pages long (which is normal for published books such as "**_The Twilight Saga_**" or the "**_Harry Potter series_**"), but way too long for someone to read online. Seriously, if you tried, you might blind yourself from prolonged computer exposure! So I came up with the idea of breaking it down into a bunch smaller stories with the main story arc running through each one (like a television series or a web series). Pretty soon, I had a 13 episode season on my hands, soon to be 14 episodes (which is quite an enormous task for someone who was only 14 years old at the time!).

While writing the second draft of the series, I showed the original Balto movie to some of my friends. By the end of the movie, they all broke down crying (both guys and girls), and I found that they loved it as much as I did. Eventually, they agreed to help me with this project, and pitched some new ideas that I found improved my stories tenfold. However, I still found it difficult to concentrate on writing due to personal problems in my life right now. And because of this, I almost didn't publish my work at all, in fear of being ridiculed for thousands of people to see.

One of Balto's lines that I wrote in states that "_Some of the greatest singers and songwriters in history drew inspiration from the things happening around them Jen_", which is undeniably true, because I found an abundance of inspiration while writing this novel, including from a fellow author named iWolf231.

Even though I don't even really know him, he had to courage to post his own work online and not care what anybody else thought, and I found that I loved his stories. I especially liked his two-part story "**_Protecting Their Own_**" / "**_The Road Home_**", which involves Balto and Jenna trying to solve a growing dispute between the sled dogs in Nome and the wolf packs of the forest, and the tragedy that results as a consequence to the feud, which then puts everyone Balto loves in grave danger. These stories were brilliantly written and reminded me of two of my favorite episodes of "**_Doctor Who_**": "**_The Hungry Earth_**" and "**_Cold Blood_**". I also enjoyed his preceding stories, "**_The First Day_**" / "**_Finding Your Place_**", which tells Balto, Jenna, Steele, and Kaltag's pasts through a series of flashbacks. And also, "**_A Second Chance_**" / "**_An Average Day_**", both of which take place after the serum run, and centers around Steele's new life in White Mountain, (who says Steele always has to be the bad guy?). And finally, iWolf's final story, "**_The Last Miles_**", which wraps up every single story arc of his previous stories (including Balto's rivalry with Steele), and concludes the series. So, Nick, if you're reading this, thanks for giving me the inspiration I needed to finally make my own dreams come true.

**((()-()))**

During the summer months of 2011, I continued writing Balto stories and finished the final drafts of the first two parts of "**_Salvation_**" during August. While writing them, I tried to do things in an unconventional and original way, which was not easy because almost all the good Balto stories have already been written.

* One of the first things I did was have the series be partly musical, similar to the global phenomenon's "**_High School Musical_**" and "**_Glee_**". At first, I thought that having the canine characters randomly break into song and dance might seem a little bit silly, but then I remembered the countless singing in the movie sequels, so I decided "_Eh, what the heck?_". The joke of the series is that the characters mostly sing 21st century songs, songs that wouldn't be written until long after they're gone, implying that dogs created modern day music before the humans did. Also, 2011 is the five-year anniversary of the long forgotten Disney Channel show, "**_Hannah Montana_**", which first aired on April 23, 2006. Being a huge fan of the show at the time, I decided to include some of Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus's greatest hits in "**_Salvation, Part 1_**" as an homage to the mysterious southern girl with the long blonde wig. But despite the large number of vocal songs in this story, I chose to include instrumental/orchestral music for some of the more emotional moments.

When the original movie was produced in 1995, composer James Horner wrote a number of orchestral tracks for the movie, including themes for Balto, Jenna, Boris, and Steele. But while I chose to include some these themes in the series, I mostly utilized tracks and themes from the British sci-fi show, "**_Doctor Who_**", which were all composed by Murray Gold. Some might find it a bit strange for music from a British science fiction show to be included in a story about 1920s Alaska, but I think you'll find that they fit into this series better than you would think. Every musician knows that some good background music helps to really convey the raw emotions of a scene, such as other famous movies like "**_Titanic_**" and "**_The Land Before Time_**". So try reading some of these scenes, while listening to music. For those of you who don't recognize some of the songs listed, simply look them up on YouTube or iTunes. The songs/tracks begin whenever the bold italic appears (Example: "**_Balto's Theme_**" by James Horner begins).

* Second of all, I decided to take Balto and Jenna's relationship to the next level, with Balto preparing to spend the rest of his life with Jenna. I soon found that this was something that not a lot of people chose to write into their stories, since most of them were reluctant on having Balto and Jenna have an intimate relationship. Because when people hear the word "intimate", they almost immediately think about sex, but intimacy is really about being close to someone, to have a meaningful and trusting relationship with that person. So I felt it was an excellent opportunity to develop Balto and Jenna's characters a little bit more, and have them grow a genuine faith in each other.

* Third of all, "**_Salvation_**" introduces the more darker side of Balto, the wolf half that he has kept buried inside him for so long that it is ripping itself out of him, and putting all of his friends and family at risk. And pretty soon, Balto will be left with indecision about how to handle the now rogue Steele, whenever the two rivals meet again.

* Fourth of all, the entire season has numerous recurring themes that you should look out for. Throughout the series, all the main characters ponder their place in the world, and eventually make life changing decisions. And while some friendships are lost forever, others grow even stronger. Along with these plot points, a mysterious man from another world arrives in Nome, and a white wolf begins to plague Balto's dreams, calling him towards the wild. By the end of "**_Salvation_**", there will still be a lot of questions left unanswered, and it's important to remember that this isn't a singular story, but only the first of fourteen. In fact, most of the concepts I introduce in this story won't even be answered until the finale episodes "**_Reunion_**" and "**_Survival of the Fittest_**".

* Fifth of all, when I was adapting Cyberwulfe's stories, I often had to rewrite entire scenes so they would tie into my own future stories, so there are many scenes throughout the series that weren't in Cyberwulfe's original works. Still, some of Cyberwulfe's original lines were so good that I decided to keep them in the remake. As a result, when I finally finished the last draft of "**_Salvation_**", I found that it was over five times longer than "**_Puppy Love_**", measuring over 125 pages long.

* The sixth unconventional thing I did was how I wrote the opening of "**_Salvation, Part 1_**". Since "**_Puppy Love_**" was a sequel to the first Balto movie, I felt that it should literally begin where the movie left off, with Balto being victorious over Steele, and saving all the children. So I had to painstakingly re-create the final scenes of the movie, while at the same time, trying to convey the emotional depth you originally got from them. And while doing so, I found this process to be strikingly similar to the 1989 movie, "**_Back to the Future, Part II_**", where the cast and crew had to meticulously recreate scenes from the original film.

* And seventh of all, since this story takes place in both Balto's relative past and his present, I found that some people may be confused by this, and added some "**_Law & Order_**" styled time cards above certain scenes so readers could keep track of the days going by. (Example: **_Nome, Alaska, 12:30 A.M. Monday, December 25th, 1922:_**)

Well, I'm sure you're sick and tired of this monologue by now (and for those of you who aren't, thanks for being so patient), so I now present to you "**_Salvation, Part 1_**". I hope you enjoy my very first work, and I also hope you'll post plenty of comments (cause I'm always open for new advice on how to improve my stories).


	2. Chapter 2: The Endless Night

**_Chapter 2: The Endless Night:_**

"_There was once a man, a man who had many friends, and twice as many enemies_".

"_There was once a man who traveled all across the globe, a man who braved new worlds and visited lands long lost, even traveling to the furthest reaches of outer space_".

"_There was once a man who had saved the world hundreds of time, and would do it all over again in a heartbeat_".

"_This man was a dog - a wolf-dog - and this wolf-dog's name was Balto_".

"_This is the story of that wolf-dog named Balto and the many challenges and hardships he would face. This is a story of how many friendships would be lost, and how the bond between two lovers would grow even stronger_".

"_This is the story of Balto, and the Heritage of the Wolf_" - The White Wolf.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome, Alaska, 11:55 P.M. Sunday, February 1st, 1925:_**

Over 85 years ago, during the great winter of 1925, a wild blizzard ravaged the north-western tip of Alaska, plunging the already cold and barren wasteland into complete and total darkness. In the middle of the blizzard, (seemingly in the middle of nowhere), there was a small little town known as Nome. In fact, the town was so small that most of the humans and dogs who lived in it called Nome a village. Tonight, however, the town was silent - deathly silent - and darker than the night itself, because the moon that usually lit up the night sky was now hidden behind thick blizzard clouds.

Many of the local residents were not in their homes that evening, but instead were inside the local hospital, watching as their own children laid dying. For the past two weeks, Nome had been the victim of an almost unstoppable epidemic, a black plague called Diphtheria. The plague mostly targeted young children who had weaker immune systems, causing them to slowly die. As the virus rapidly slowed down their hearts, the children's throats burned, preventing them from even saying their final good-byes to their parents. However, most of the children had already fallen unconscious anyway, crushed by the weight of their overwhelming fevers.

This was the case of one little girl, a redhead named Rosie who was lying in a hospital bed in one of the hospital's far-off corners. Rosie was already in a deep sleep, unaware of the red husky lying on her stomach, who felt totally helpless to save her owner. The dog's name was Jenna, a rust and cream colored husky who belonged to Rosie and her parents. The reason it hurt so much to watch Rosie die was because Jenna loved the girl infinitely more than any dog had ever loved his or her own owners.

Jenna watched as Rosie's deep sleep continued, it almost seemed like it had been going on forever. Since she was lying on top of Rosie's stomach, Jenna could feel the girl's breathing patterns growing slower and slower by the second, and the husky felt sick to her stomach. She knew that Rosie was dying, and any minute now, the girl would be joining her great-grandparents in the sky.

Jenna cried softly, tears darkening her bright red fur. "_Oh Balto, where are you?_", she thought.

**((()-()))**

Not far away from Rosie's bed, the girl's mother, Evelyn Jones, was sitting in a large rocking chair, watching helplessly as her daughter continued to suffer. Evelyn's husband, Thomas was already fast asleep, and was leaning on her lap. Thomas had tried to stay up as long as he could, in fear that his daughter would pass away while he was asleep, but it was almost midnight, and the man couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.

Up until now, Evelyn had tried to be strong, knowing that a nervous breakdown wouldn't help to save her daughter. But as she saw Rosie's face growing paler and paler, she could feel herself fighting back tears, just like her faithful husky was. Eve rubbed her husband's back, desperately trying to take her mind off her pain.

Noticing her distress, a large nurse walked up to her, and handed her a coffee mug, which was filled with cool water. "Here dear, drink this", the nurse said, holding out the mug.

Noticing the nurse, Eve looked up, and reluctantly took the cup from her hands. "Thanks", she replied, before drinking from the mug.

Evelyn looked at the nurse, and they both shared a somber look. Both Eve and the nurse knew that they couldn't do anything for the sick children, except sit there and wait for them to die.

Dr. Curtis Welch had ran out of Antitoxin and sent out an order for some more days ago, but the raging blizzard had prevented any travel by train or air. As a last resort, Nome had sent out an emergency dog sled team to retrieve the medicine from Nenana, which they called the serum run. Sled dogs were often used to deliver food, mail, and supplies across the land, and were essential to the Alaskan way of life, but they had never been trained for such an enormous task like this. The team had to get back soon, or it would be too late. But only a few days after the team had left, the entire town's hopes had all been crushed when they learned that the sled team had gotten lost in the blizzard, along with the medicine. The townspeople knew that the team had not chance of making it back until the blizzard was over, that is, if they were even still alive. Knowing that the team would still be too late to save the children, all the townspeople had already turned off their lanterns, plunging the town into darkness. It seemed that the eerie darkness of night was only fitting for the morbid mood that everyone felt at that moment.

However, Jenna knew something that the humans didn't know.

After learning that the sled team's lead dog, Steele, had gotten the team lost, a local stray named Balto had set out into the blizzard to find the team and deliver the medicine, wanting to save Rosie. Jenna had wanted to travel with Balto on his dangerous mission, but she had injured her paw during a bear attack, and was forced to go back to Nome, leaving Balto alone on his journey. Jenna had promised herself that Balto would be okay, because of his genes. Because Jenna knew something that almost everyone in Nome knew, the heroic stray was half-wolf. His father was sled dog, but his mother had been a wild wolf. This had once made him the ridicule of the town, but now Jenna hoped that this genetic quirk would keep the wolf-dog alive long enough to rescue the team and save her owner's life. Before he left, Balto had promised her that he would return safe and sound, with the medicine.

"_And a wolf always keeps his promises_", Jenna thought sadly. This odd phrase was an old fable that the husky had learned from Balto's father, Boris, when she was just three years old, and ever since then, she had been confident that Balto would never let her down.

However, whatever hopes Jenna had had were crushed when she saw Steele barge into the Old Mill, without his team, and covered from head to toe in icicles. Steele had told her about how Balto had attacked the team, and deliberately destroyed the medicine. Most of the dogs in Nome had believed Steele and considered him to be a tragic hero. But Jenna knew Steele far too well by now to fall for his lies. Jenna had guessed that the malamute had abandoned his team in the blizzard and was lying to everyone so he could cover up his hedonistic act. Jenna, hoping that Balto was somehow still alive, had dragged a few broken bottles out onto a hill outside of town, and exposed them to one of the lanterns. It was a trick that Balto had taught her the week before, how to use the power of reflections to create a phenomenon similar to the Aurora Borealis - the Northern Lights. However, that was hours ago, and she now feared that Steele was right. Balto, the man she loved, was dead. And soon, everyone else in Nome would die with him.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome, Alaska, 11:58 P.M. Sunday, February 1st, 1925:_**

Outside of Nome, the Aurora Borealis shone brightly, the only source of light outside the ghost town. The lantern that Jenna had brought outside was still lit and shining brightly, but the intense blizzard would soon bury it in snow, making it impossible for the team to find the town, if they were even still alive.

A few meters from town, an old abandoned trawler laid tilted on it's side, like a beached whale. The ship had been washed on land years ago, and was now abandoned by the humans - but only the humans. The broken down old boat had been the home of the wolf-dog Balto ever since he first came to Nome in the year 1920. Because of his half-wolf breeding, he was ostracized by the other dogs of Nome, and was forced to live as an outcast.

But even in his darkest hours, the wolf-dog hybrid was never truly alone. He had his adoptive father, Boris Goosinov, an old Russian snow goose. The goose had found Balto when he was only just a pup, and the orphan looked up to Boris as the father he never had. Along with Boris, Balto was also friends with two polar bear brothers, Muk and Luk. Though the brothers were often a bit rambunctious, they were always there to lift Balto's spirits up when he needed them.

But tonight, as they laid inside the beached trawler, Muk, Luk, and Boris were all silent, fighting back the tears in their eyes just like Jenna was.

"Balto", Muk cried softly, sniffling.

The three friends had originally accompanied Balto on his quest, but were forced to leave him so they could help Jenna make it back to Nome. Now they feared for the wolf-dog's life, and wished more than anything that they could help him. But just like the people in Nome, all they could do was wait and hope.

Thick snowflakes continued to fall outside, covering the trawler, and making the atmosphere even colder, easily below zero, but the three friends ignored it. The bigger bear, Luk, reached out and grabbed a brown blanket. To some, it may have looked like a raggedy old piece of cloth, but it had a special meaning to them. It was Balto's blanket, the wolf-dog had often used it to keep himself and Boris warm on frosty nights. The blanket was also the same color as Balto's fur, a dark shade of brown. Luk slowly took the blanket, and wrapped itself around him, Muk, and Boris. Thought the goose was being smothered by the blanket, he didn't complain, as he normally would have. His spirits were dampened that night by his fear for his son. So all Boris did was lie on Luk's head, listening to the sound of the whistling wind, and the sound of the snow falling.

Boris sighed. He had known the wolf-dog for over five years now, and even though he often didn't show it, Boris loved the stray more than anything in the world. Now, his son was out there risking his life for a bunch of people and dogs that he didn't even know.

"_Oh Balto, Why did I have to raise you to be so selfless?_", Boris thought sadly. And then he sighed again. He knew that if the situation had been reversed, he would have done the exact same thing as his half-wolf son. The reason he originally went with Balto on his quest was because he couldn't bare to see Rosie and the other children die.

But as Muk and Luk continued to whimper and sniffle, Boris heard a sound that changed his life forever. A loud noise rang across the land, destroying the silence of night. It was a howling sound. Boris knew that the sound hadn't come from the wind, but was instead a wolf's howl. Even though Boris had never heard the howl before now, he instantly recognized the voice it belonged to, since the old goose had heard it thousands of times before.

"_Balto_", he whispered.

"**_Balto Brings the Medicine_**", by James Horner begins.

Boris turned his head around, and looked off into the distance, desperately trying to see where the howl had came from. Finally, Boris saw what he was looking for. A small team of seven sled dogs breaking through a snow drift, and running at breakneck speeds. The leader of the team, instead being the usual black and white malamute, Steele, a brown furred wolf-dog was proudly leading his team across the land.

Boris gasped, and turned back to grin at Muk and Luk. "BALTO'S BACK!", the old goose shouted, his voice brimming with excitement and joy.

At the sound of his voice, Muk and Luk instantly stood up, and looked off into the distance, where they could see Balto and the team getting closer and closer with each second. "I knew he'd make it", Muk whispered. Luk grinned, and nodded in agreement, as the team ran faster and faster, determined.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome, Alaska, 11:59 P.M. Sunday, February 1st, 1925:_**

The blizzard continued to rage on, but the sled dog team was in such a good mood they hardly even noticed it anymore. Instead, they all had their eyes on their destination. Since the old trawler was close by, Balto knew Nome had to be only half a mile away now.

As the wolf-dog pushed his way through snow and ice, he was running on pure adrenaline and endless joy. In the heat of the moment, he had let out a wolfish howl, letting the people of Nome know he was coming. Even though he was dragging a heavy sled, a 200 pound man, and six other sled dogs behind him, Balto didn't even feel their weight, for he was looking at something even further off into the distance.

Above the village of Nome, the Aurora Borealis was still shining brightly, lighting up the darkness. Balto immediately knew that the light was man-made, and that there was only one dog in Nome smart enough to have created it.

"_Jenna_", he whispered. Balto knew that Jenna had indeed waited for him, just like she promised, and that the husky still had feelings for him after all.

Grinning, the wolf-dog leapt into the air, and let another howl escape from his throat. Balto stumbled slightly as he landed on his feet, but kept going, because he knew that he couldn't afford to slip up now, not while they were so close.

"Come on guys, we're almost there!", Balto shouted, speaking to the six other dogs that were running behind him. The subsequent sled dogs all grinned, and sped up their pace, running almost as fast as Balto. As Nome grew closer and closer, Balto could feel his heart pounding in his chest. After days of running, Balto's journey was almost over.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome General Hospital, 12:00 A.M. Monday, February 2nd, 1925:_**

Inside the hospital, Jenna laid on top of Rosie's bed, sleeping. Sleeping was the only time when Jenna found sanctuary, free from the worries that plagued her mind. Suddenly, a loud noise rang through her ears, and shattered her peaceful dreams. It was a wolf's howl.

Jenna's head snapped up, and she stared out the window, searching through the darkness for what she knew had to be out there. Just like Boris, even though she had never heard the wolf-dog howl before, she immediately recognized the voice.

"_Balto_", she thought, her heart lifting. Jenna immediately started barking, quickly drawing the attention of the other humans in the room. Her barking also gained the attention of Evelyn, and woke up Thomas from his peaceful slumber.

"The team!", Tom exclaimed.

"They made it!", Eve shouted.

The married couple immediately rushed over to the nearby window, and looked off into the distance with Jenna.

**((()-()))**

All across town, the lights inside houses flew on. The people awoke to the sound of Balto howling, and realized that after 10 agonizing days, their salvation had finally arrived. Many of the humans threw open their windows, and stared into the heart of the blizzard, looking for any sign of Steele and his team. Lights all across Nome flickered on, lighting up the dark town, and lifting everyone's spirits. The humans all ran outside their homes, immediately throwing on their lanterns so that the dogs could find the town. As the team grew closer and closer, every eligible man, woman, and child ran out into the street, waiting to greet Gunnar Kaasen and his team when they arrived with the medicine.

**((()-()))**

**_The Old Mill, 12:00 A.M. Monday, February 2nd, 1925:_**

Unaware of the events happening just on the other side of town, most of Nome's canine population were still inside the Old Mill, listening to Steele's tragic tale of how Balto and his team perished in the blizzard. "Of course, so I just swam, and I swam, and it was freezing cold", Steele continued, gnawing on a large bone.

Tired of chewing on the bone, Steele threw it in the air, and swallowed it whole, much to the amazement of his show-dog fans, Dixie and Sylvie. The afghan hound, and the small husky watched as the obnoxious malamute continued to spin his tall tale.

"And finally, I just said, Steele, you're just gonna have to gnaw you're way to the surface, so I…", Steele continued, before he was suddenly cut off. A loud sound had rang across the village, causing Steele's heart to drop on a dime. The sound of Balto howling had just echoed across the Old Mill.

Dixie and Sylvie turned towards the door, and watched as a large Saint Bernard named Doc bursted inside the Old Mill. "It's Balto, with the medicine", Doc exclaimed, before glaring directly at Steele.

The other dogs in the Mill all followed his gaze, and angrily growled at Steele. At that moment, they all realized that Steele had lied to them. Steele had abandoned his team in his blizzard, sabotaged their mission, and then lied to cover his tracks.

Steele, knowing that the jig was up, turned to grin at Dixie, hoping that she would still be loyal to him. In response to the malamute's awkward smile, Dixie smiled back at him. "Steele, you are positively… disposable!", she shouted, growling at the end.

The show dog raised up one of her paws, and smacked Steele across the face, scratching his cheek, and knocking the bone out of his mouth. Dixie raised her head proudly and trotted away, leaving Steele shocked. He had never been slapped by a female before, except by Jenna, and it badly hurt his ego.

Steele's bone hit the floor, and clattered loudly, drawing the attention of the other dogs. Steele nervously raised his head and turned to look at the angry mob of dogs, afraid that they would strike at any minute for his treachery.

"Okay, okay, I can explain", Steele pleaded desperately.

At first, the mob of angry canines thought about attacking the traitorous malamute, but eventually decided that he simply wasn't worth the trouble. Instead, they chose to go outside, and greet Balto and the team when they arrived.

Steele watched as one by one, the dogs left the Old Mill, leaving him all alone. Steele knew that he had been caught in a lie, and worse, almost committed genocide, but he still hoped that he could salvage at least some of his fame and glory.

"You guys weren't there, so you don't know what happened", Steele pleaded, hoping that they would believe him. Instead, the dogs quietly muttered angry curse words at Steele, and continued leaving.

"Wait, guys, wait just a second, please", Steele begged, before the door to the Old Mill slammed shut behind them. Realizing that there was no hope left whatsoever, Steele hung his head down in shame, and started gnawing on another bone.

**((()-()))**

**_Front Street, 12:01 A.M. Monday, February 2nd, 1925:_**

Every human in town ran down Front Street, rejoicing. Men, women, and a few children who weren't sick, threw on their coats and jackets and ran outside, completely ignoring the frigid cold temperatures. The reason everyone was cheering was because Balto and the team were now in sight, only a few yards outside of from Nome.

Finally, Balto and the team bolted down Front Street, passing by dozens and dozens of humans. The humans all cheered, though some of them were a bit confused. Instead of the champion sled dog Steele, a half-breed mutt was leading the team, completely unaware that Steele himself was still sulking inside the Boiler Room. And to add to that, the team's musher, Gunnar Kaasen, was knocked out and lying in the back of the sled with the medicine.

Balto and his new friends slowly grinded to a halt, and parked the sled directly in front of the hospital. Dr. Welch watched in amazement from the hospital's front door, and quickly ran outside to greet the team. Next to Gunnar on the sled, was the crate of Antitoxin, with a lantern tied on top of the box as a way to light up the path.

The other humans removed the lantern, and carefully pried open the crate, worried that the medicine might not have survived the trip.

"Easy, easy now, that's had a long journey", Dr. Welch warned.

But to everyone's amazement, the medicine was still perfectly intact, except for a few missing bottles that had fallen out during an avalanche.

"They made it", one woman exclaimed.

"We _should_ be okay now", another man said, nervously.

Balto, noticing the human's hesitation, gulped, and held his breath. He had done his part, the medicine had made it back to Nome safely, it was all up to the humans now. He just hoped that the medicine's integrity hadn't been damaged by the subzero temperatures, because Rosie's life depended on whatever was inside those bottles.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome General Hospital, 12:05 A.M. Monday, February 2nd, 1925:_**

Though the precious medicine was completely frozen solid from it's long and perilous journey, it soon thawed out once it was exposed to the heat of the hospital, allowing the doctors and nurses to disperse it to the patients through primitive needles. The golden liquid glittered in the lamplight as the doctors and nurses injected it into their patients.

The fluid slowly passed through the children's bloodstreams, and released antibodies that destroyed the toxins inside the immune system, effectively breaking their fever. To everyone's relief, the children soon began to stir, and a few minutes later, they started talking again for the first time in days. In a far corner of the hospital, a nurse injected a needle into Rosie's arm and prayed that it would work on her too.

**((()-()))**

Outside the hospital, Balto watched and smiled as the children slowly began to show signs of getting better. However, the wolf-dog was shocked when the other humans started to approach him. Fearing the worse from the crowd, Balto braced himself. However, instead of attacking him or beating him like they normally would have done, the humans all patted his head and rubbed him on the back, happily praising the hybrid for a job well done. As this was happening, fireworks exploded above Nome, and Balto realized that one of the humans must have lit a few kegs in celebration of the success of the serum run.

The wolf-dog's heart beated at a million beats per minute, practically tearing a hole in chest. He knew he should have been exhausted from the 600 mile run, but instead he still felt great. It had always been his dream to be on a sled dog team, and now he had just led a team. But Balto knew that it wasn't just that, he felt absolutely amazing.

Now that they had finally arrived in Nome, and he had taken the time to re-evaluate himself, he realized that his entire body felt different. Everything about him felt different. He could hear the doctors speaking through the walls of the hospital. He could smell every human that was surrounding him. He could make out every single detail of their faces in the darkness of night. He also felt stronger too, and faster. He felt like he could run another hundred miles, and not even be tired.

"_Why do I feel this way?_", Balto wondered. He could think of only one explanation, his wolf-half. He had embraced his wolf-half only a few hours ago, and every since then, every one of his five senses felt stronger.

As the humans continued to praise him, Balto recognized one of the men as the local butcher, James Avery. A few days earlier, the man had been shouting and yelling curses at him, but now, he was cheering and laughing in joy.

One of the men removed Steele's harness, freeing Balto. Though Balto was surprised by this kind gesture, he was quickly distracted when he heard a loud voice. Balto looked up, and saw the familiar face of Boris dive through the air, laughing heartily.

Boris quickly wrapped himself around Balto's neck, the only part of his body that he could reach, and embraced his son for the first time in days. "Not dog! Not wolf! You are a hero!", Boris shouted, brimming with pride.

Balto smiled, he was glad to see his father again, but Boris was hugging him a bit too tight. Still, Balto knew that Boris's happiness even surpassed his own that night, so he decided not to ruin the moment for him.

As Boris continued to rub Balto's head, the hybrid turned around, and his eyes narrowed when he realized that Muk and Luk were not far behind Boris, breaking through the crowd of humans. Several people moved out the way, making a clear path for the eager polar bears.

"Balto!", Muk shouted.

"Balto!", Luk mumbled, only a few feet behind him.

Balto braced himself for impact as the two bears collided with him, knocking the wind out of the wolf-dog. Boris screamed in fear as the polar bears happily smothered him, ignoring the goose's bitter complaints. As the brothers continued to hug Balto, they were unwittingly choking him. Balto quickly slipped his way out of the bear hug, and breathed in deeply, filling his lungs with air again. Balto smiled as Boris started shouting insults at Muk and Luk. Now that his son was safe, the snow goose was back to his old self again.

However, Balto still found it hard to breathe, even though the bear hug was over. The wolf-dog's heart continued to beat faster and faster, threatening to give him a stroke if it beated any faster, but Balto ignored the pain in his chest. Because his sensitive nose had picked up another scent, a vaguely familiar one. His brain immediately registered the scent as belonging to Rosie's father, Thomas Jones.

Unexpectedly, Thomas rubbed the back of Balto's head, gaining the wolf-dog's attention. The man chuckled lightly, but Balto was still wary of the man's intentions. The last time he had seen the man, he had harshly judged him for being half-wolf, crushing the hybrid's spirit.

"Come on boy, there's someone here who wants to see you", Tom said gently, before walking towards the hospital.

Balto followed him for a few moments, but then stopped at the top of the stairs. Balto turned to look back at Boris, silently asking him for his advice.

In response, Boris raised up his arms, a silent symbol of approval.

Balto grinned, and followed Tom inside, not knowing what to expect. Still, he wanted to know about Rosie's condition, and the whereabouts of a certain red-headed husky he hadn't seen since he arrived in Nome.

Behind him, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star watched as Balto embraced his friends and entered the hospital. The three tired dogs were relieved to back home, and even more relieved to know that the children had survived, something that almost hadn't happened, due to the treachery of a certain malamute.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome General Hospital, 12:30 A.M. Monday, February 2nd, 1925:_**

Nearly 30 minutes after she was administered the medicine, Rosie finally began to stir in her bed, showing the first signs of being conscious. The girl had been in a coma-like state for more than two days. The girl slowly opened her eyes, and then started rubbing them, trying to wipe away her sleepiness.

"Mommy?", she whispered softly, unable to raise her voice any louder just yet.

"Rosie, darling!", Evelyn sobbed, embracing her daughter.

"Mommy, I fell asleep", Rosie mumbled drowsily, completely unaware of her recent near-death experience.

"Rosie!", Thomas shouted, joining in on the group hug.

At a distance, Balto watched as Thomas and Evelyn hugged their daughter, relieved that they hadn't lost the most precious thing in their lives. Balto smiled and turned to look at the rest of the hospital. All the other local and Inuit children were doing the same, embracing their worried parents.

Balto turned around and saw that Rosie's musher hat was lying on an abandoned chair. Because of Rosie's recent ailment, it hadn't been touched by the girl or her parents since the week before.

Balto eagerly walked off, and carefully picked up the hat with his teeth, not wanting to damage it with his fangs. Balto walked over to Rosie's bed, and then handed the girl her hat, much to the surprise of her parents.

"Balto, I'd be lost without you", Rosie whispered softly. The little girl leaned over, and Balto allowed her to hug his head, sharing a tender moment with the girl.

But Balto and Rosie's gentle moment was suddenly interrupted by the sound of another female voice. "Mmm, mmm", someone said softly, clearing her throat.

Balto and Rosie turned around, and saw Jenna standing in the doorway, her face illuminated by the light of the lanterns outside.

"Hello Balto", Jenna smiled, beckoning for the hybrid to come join her.

"_Jenna_", Balto whispered, before running towards the door.

Thomas, Evelyn, and Rosie watched in amazement as Balto and Jenna started circling each other, playing and running around like they were a pair of newborn pups. The two dogs had never been more happy to see each other in their entire lives. Eventually, they stopped for a moment, and looked into each other's eyes. After sharing a tender moment of their own, Balto and Jenna leaned forward, and nuzzled each other on the neck, the equivalent of a passionate canine kiss.

"Did I ever tell how much I love you?", Balto whispered.

"You could stand to say it more", Jenna replied, smiling.

The two blushed and then looked outside, surprised to see that the humans were cheering again. The townspeople were all clapping and whistling, while Boris, Muk, Luk, Nikki, Kaltag, Star, Dixie, and Sylvie were among the dozens of animals in the crowd, each and every one of them proud of their friends. After being encouraged by their friends, Balto and Jenna proudly locked arms and walked outside to face the crowd together.

"Go Balto!", Star shouted.

"He has the most endurance! The most infidelity! The most intelligence! He has the most…", Kaltag shouted, rambling on as usual.

"They should build a statue of him!", Star said, interrupting Kaltag before he could stop himself. The husky immediately realized that he had interrupted Kaltag, again, and whenever he would interrupt Kaltag's ranting, he would be hit upside the head by one of the sled dog's massive paws.

As soon as Star spoke up, Kaltag shoved him roughly, and the smaller husky cowered in fear, expecting the worst his bigger teammate could do to him.

"You said it!", Kaltag said proudly.

"Wait, I did?", Star asked, surprised.

The three friends exchanged a grin, and glanced back at Balto and Jenna.

As the crowd continued to cheer them on, Balto and Jenna looked all across the land. The once cold and barren wasteland was now bright and shining, filled with happiness and joy, and it was all due to one wolf-dog.

As he looked all around him, Balto felt something stirring inside him, something that he now recognized as his urge to howl. A few nights ago, Balto would have held back, in fear of aggravating an attack from the other sled dogs. But that night, Balto had finally let go of his fears, and embraced himself for what he truly was.

Balto opened his mouth and let a long and beautiful wolf howl escape from his throat, echoing across Nome and all of the surrounding mountains. Encouraged by her best friend's joy, Jenna let out a howl too, joining in with the hybrid. Their howls echoed all across Alaska, traveling from one coast to the next. It was then that everyone knew that Balto had finally found somewhere where he belonged, and it had been right in front of him the whole time.

As Balto and Jenna continued to howl to the heavens, not a care in the world, the Aurora Borealis shifted and formed the distinctive shape of a wolf, a wolf who was at peace with the world.

"**_Doctor Who XI_**" by Murray Gold begins.


	3. Chapter 3: The Proposal

**_Chapter 3: The Proposal:_**

**_Front Street, 1:00 A.M. Monday, February 2nd, 1925:_**

About half an hour later, the cheering started to subside, and the explosive euphoria of the night finally began to wear off the crowd. After moving Gunnar Kaasen to hospital so the doctors could treat the musher's wounds, several citizens had already retired to their homes for the night. However, many parents and family of the sick children were still in the hospital, not wanting to leave their loved ones until they knew they absolutely sure that they would pull through. Personally, Balto couldn't blame them, after such a close call, he wouldn't want to leave the side of his loved ones yet either. After his triumphant arrival back in Nome, the wolf-dog had spent the last hour with his new girlfriend, Jenna. His heart leapt every time he looked at Jenna, knowing that he had finally worked up the courage to tell Jenna how he felt about her. Balto and Jenna watched as the last of the humans either went back inside their wooden homes, or back inside the crowded hospital.

"Wow", Jenna said, speechless.

"I know", Balto replied, speechless too.

The two dogs were lying on their backs in the middle of Front Street, not only looking at the humans, but also at the stars and the Aurora Borealis.

After another few minutes, Balto sat up. "You know, this has by far, been one of the craziest nights of my life", he began.

"Really?", Jenna asked, curious.

"Yeah, but it's also been one the best", Balto added, smiling.

Jenna laughed in response, and then sat up as well, staring into her boyfriend's eyes. Her heart leapt every time she saw Balto, especially his eyes. She had never seen a dog or a wolf with yellow eyes before she met Balto, and she loved everything about them.

After keeping direct eye contact with the wolf-dog for a few more seconds, Jenna blushed and looked up at the sky.

Following her gaze, Balto looked up at the Northern Lights, which were still lighting up the night sky with their multicolored beauty.

"I'm so proud of you Jenna", Balto said, lowering his head.

"Proud of me, why?", Jenna asked, curious.

"You may not have been able to come with me on the serum run, but if you hadn't lit that lantern, I might have never found my way back to Nome in time", Balto explained, holding Jenna's paw.

"Yeah, well, I learned it from you, you know", Jenna reminded him, smiling as she realized that Balto was touching her paw. Suddenly, she gasped, sitting up as the husky remembered something very important.

"What is it Jen?", Balto asked, concerned.

"I think I left the lantern on the hill, the one I used to make the Northern lights, it might start a forest fire!", Jenna exclaimed, looking towards the direction of the lights. "I'd better go get it", she said, before running down Front Street.

"Mind if I tag along?", Balto asked, running after her.

Jenna stopped in her tracks, and looked at the husky hesitantly. "Shouldn't you be exhausted from all that running you just did?", she asked, confused.

"Nah, I've still got a few more miles left in me. Besides, shouldn't your paw still be sore from that grizzly attack?", Balto countered, raising his eyebrows.

"Touché. Come on then, let's go!", Jenna replied, before dashing away, with Balto right behind her.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome, Alaska, 1:10 A.M. Monday, February 2nd, 1925:_**

Balto and Jenna stopped running about half a mile outside the Western side of Nome, where the lantern and the glass bottles were located. The town was still pretty visible in the distance, or at least it was to Balto's eyes, the wolf-dog could see the Boiler Room from where they were standing. Balto could also see dozens and dozens of dogs entering the Boiler Room, no doubt celebrating the children's miraculous recovery.

Turning his head, Balto could see that the lantern was now almost completely buried in snow, but the light was still shining through the snow, refracted by a nearby pile of broken bottles. The bottles then reflected the colors onto the nearby mountainside, creating a phenomenon similar to the Northern Lights. After realizing the lantern was of no threat to the local forest, Jenna sat down next to the broken bottles, watching as the bright colors flashed across the snow. Balto smiled and sat down next to her.

Observing the lights, Jenna turned her head to look at Balto. "It's so beautiful Balto, where did you ever learn this trick?", Jenna asked, curious.

Balto smiled, but to Jenna's surprise, his face fell slightly. "It was something that my mom used to do when I was puppy to help me sleep at night. It's the only thing I remember of her, before she disappeared", he explained solemnly, his voice trailing off.

"I'm so sorry Balto", Jenna said, her voice sympathetic. When they were just pups, Jenna had learned from Balto himself about how his mother had disappeared when he was young, and she understood the pain he felt every time he thought of her. Feeling guilty about making the hybrid have to relieve such a painful memory, Jenna nuzzled Balto softly.

"Don't feel too bad Jen, I'm proud to remember her", Balto said, his mood lifted already.

While the two were nuzzling each other, they didn't notice a pair of dogs walking up to them. "I thought we'd find you two up here", a familiar voice said, giggling.

At the sound of the dog's voice, Balto and Jenna immediately looked up and realized that Dixie and Sylvie were standing over them, fighting back the urge to giggle.

Balto and Jenna immediately separated from each other, and embarrassedly pretended that the last minute hadn't happened.

"Sorry to interrupt you guys, but there's a party going on in the Boiler Room, wanna come?", Dixie explained, giggling.

"Both of us?", Jenna asked.

"Both of us?", Balto asked, his voice simultaneous with Jenna's.

"Yeah sure, why not?", Sylvie replied.

"It sounds tempting guys, but…", Jenna hesitated, her voice trailing off at the end.

Jenna had just found out her that boyfriend was still alive, and the husky wanted to spend the rest of the night with him, instead of being around a large crowd of dogs and feeling awkward the whole time.

Understanding Jenna's worries perfectly, Balto winked at her, and turned to smile at Dixie. "We can't go, because I was about to take Jenna somewhere special", Balto explained, finishing the husky's sentence.

Jenna stared at Balto, confused, as Dixie raised her eyebrows at the wolf-dog.

"Really?", Dixie asked, her voice suspicious.

"Sounds like a date to me", Sylvie whispered, her voiced amused.

"All right, if you guys say so", Dixie shrugged, giggling again.

After looking back at Balto and Jenna one last time, Dixie and Sylvie turned and walked back into Nome, laughing.

Once the show dogs were out of earshot, Jenna sighed in relief, and laid down again. "Thanks for that Balto, I really don't feel like a party right now", she said, as Balto laid down next to her.

"I didn't just make it up Jen, there's really something I want to show you", Balto admitted.

"What?", Jenna asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I thought that after such a crazy night we've both had, we could find someplace nice and quiet to get away from it all, somewhere our hearts can beat normally again", Balto explained, smiling.

At that, Jenna realized that her heart was still beating twice as hard as it usually did, pounding almost as hard as Balto's. "_But how does he know that?_", she wondered, curious. "Sure", she reluctantly agreed, standing up.

"Ladies first", Balto teased lightly, outstretching his arm.

"You know, the gentleman act didn't impress me when we were kids, and it still doesn't impress me now", Jenna muttered, walking off.

"I see you're cheery tonight", Balto replied, grinning.

"So where are we going anyway?", Jenna asked.

"Somewhere outside of Nome, I used to go there all the time when I was a pup", Balto says, beckoning further into the darkness.

"We're going in the woods?", Jenna asked, alarmed.

"Don't worry, we're not going _in_ the woods Jen, we're going someplace _between_ Nome _and_ the woods", Balto explained, walking ahead of her.

"Well that just makes me feel a _whole_ lot better", Jenna muttered sarcastically.

Balto laughed and looked back at Nome one last time. He could still see a few dogs standing outside the Boiler Room, including Nikki, Kaltag, and Star. At first, Balto thought about speaking up, and maybe even barking a good-bye to the dogs, but he held back. Balto wasn't sure what his relationship with the sled dogs was like at that moment. The wolf-dog had always considered them to be his sworn enemies for so long, and he often saw them as just Steele's little followers, who he hated almost as much as he hated Steele. But they had been willing to follow him, a wolf-dog, to save the children. To his surprise, they had been willing to put aside their own differences to help the dying citizens of Nome. But now that their journey was over, were they even still friends? Or would they find Steele and join up with him once more? If they joined with Steele, would they hesitate to attack? Would Steele even take them back after they left him behind?

At the very thought of Steele, Balto's heart sunk in his chest, and a terrible feeling of realization washed over him, killing his newfound joy. That whole night had been so wonderful and magical that ever since he had arrived back in Nome his one emotion had been happiness. But the wolf-dog now realized that Steele had to be somewhere in Nome, and if he was, the malamute had to be aware that he was alive by now.

Interrupting Balto's worried thoughts, Jenna suddenly spoke up. "Well, are you gonna come on already, or am I going to have to go this secret place by myself?", she asked sarcastically.

Balto turned and realized that the red husky was now far ahead of him. "Coming!", he shouted, chasing after her. As he ran off, Balto left the town of Nome behind him, along with his new frenimies.

**((()-()))**

**_Alaskan Wilderness, 1:30 A.M. Monday, February 2nd, 1925:_**

After a little while, Balto and Jenna started to walk into unfamiliar territory, for Jenna at least, Balto seemed to know exactly where he was going.

Breaking the awkward silence, Jenna spoke up again, but this time her voice was softer. "I was so worried about you Balto, Steele told me you were dead, and of course I didn't believe him", Jenna said, adding the last part quickly.

Balto listened carefully, hearing Jenna's side of the story for the first time since he arrived. But as Jenna continued, her voice began to break, and Balto could tell she was fighting back tears.

"But he said you had fallen off a bottomless chasm, and then I saw he had my bandana", Jenna said, staring directly at Balto's neck.

Balto looked down and noticed that Jenna's bandana was no longer hanging around his neck. Steele had torn the bandanna in half when he fell off the cliff, and now only a tiny shred was left handing around his neck. But instead of comforting the saddened husky, Jenna was surprised when Balto growled in anger.

"He lied", Balto explained, his teeth clenched together.

Balto stopped walking, freezing dead in his tracks, and Jenna stopped walking too, curious about the meaning of the wolf-dog's words. "Then tell me Balto, what really happened out there?", she asked.

Balto looked at the husky for a few moments, worried that the truth would upset her, but decided that she deserved to know the truth. "After you left, I found the team stranded in a blizzard", Balto explained, struggling to keep his voice calm.

Jenna nodded, understanding so far.

"So I offered to help Steele and his friends find their way back to town, and I told them about how I marked to trail so we could find our way back", Balto continued, having to fight harder and harder to control himself as he remembered how the traumatic moment began. Balto had spent so much time trying to focus on getting the medicine safely back to Nome, that he hadn't had time to think about how much Steele's actions had angered him, but now as he relieving Steele's treachery, he was finding it harder and harder to continue.

Jenna stared at the wolf-dog. She had hardly ever seen him this angry, not since they were kids anyway. Whatever had happened on the mountainside had to have been really bad to make such a peaceful hybrid so angry.

"And then, he attacked me", Balto finished.

"Wait, he did what? You're not serious!", Jenna gasped, her voice disbelieving.

But instead of answering, Balto simply nodded to her.

After a few more moments, Balto collected his anger enough to continue. "He told me not to touch the crate, or he would 'rip me apart'", he said, perfectly imitating Steele's husky voice.

"Balto, that's crazy! Why wouldn't he take your help? What about all the sick children?", Jenna asked, confused.

At that, Balto's head snapped around, his expression furious. "Jenna, he never cared about the children, he only cared about the fame, and he decided that if he couldn't deliver medicine himself, he would rather die out there than have a half-wolf like me help him", Balto explained.

At that, Jenna started breathing rapidly, and desperately tried to calm herself down before she started hyperventilating.

Not even noticing Jenna's panic attack, Balto continued on with his heated recount of the serum run. "And then he made me fight him. Eventually he stepped backwards, and plunged off the side of a cliff", the wolf-dog explained, starting to lose more and more control over his temper.

As his voice grew louder with each second, Balto unwrapped the shredded remains of Jenna's bandanna from around his neck, and then gave it to her. "He tried to hold on to your bandana Jenna, but he ripped it in half with his teeth", Balto continued.

Jenna stared at the bandana, and recognized the part where it had ripped in half as being caused by a sharp pair of canine fangs. After smelling it, she realized that the bandanna indeed had Steele's scent on the very edge, from where the malamute had desperately grabbed onto it with his teeth. After confirming that Balto's story was true, Jenna realized that it could have very easily been Balto that had been ripped to shreds instead of the bandanna. Breaking down into tears, Jenna suddenly ran forward and wrapped herself Balto, hugging the wolf-dog as tightly as she could. "Balto!", she cried hysterically, sobbing into his fur.

Seeing the sight of his loved one having a nervous breakdown, all of Balto's anger immediately faded and he wrapped his arms around Jenna. "Jenna, calm down, I'm here now, I'm okay", he said softly, comforting her.

But inside, Balto knew that he was not okay, he was far from being okay. The surge of anger Balto had just felt was incredible. He had wanted to run back into Nome, find Steele, and then rip him apart. He had wanted to slash his throat, and make the malamute beg for mercy with his tail tucked between his legs.

Balto knew that most wolf-dog hybrids had a temperament problem because of their heritage, and often found it difficult to control their anger. Balto also knew that wolves craved revenge - and that forgiveness was not very a common concept among wolf packs. Now that he had just embraced the wolf side of him, he would have to learn how to control his temper, especially whenever he was around Jenna.

But that wasn't the only reason he wasn't okay. Earlier, when the crowd had surrounded Balto, he had picked up Steele's scent among the dogs. Jenna had mentioned Steele had returned before him. So why couldn't he smell him? Balto knew their could be only reason. And as much as he didn't like the answer, he knew it could be the only explanation.

But before he could force himself to think about the answer, Jenna's sobbing interrupted his thoughts. "I'm sorry Balto, it's just I can't imagine losing you, especially to a slime ball like Steele", she sobbed, growling at the word '_Steele_'.

Balto put his paws around Jenna's head and started softly rubbing her neck. "Don't worry Jenna, I'm fine, and it's all over now", Balto said, even though he knew he was lying to her face, and it was taking the wolf-dog a lot effort to do so.

Jenna smiled, and slowly wiped the tears from around her eyes. Due to sub-zero temperatures of the Alaskan Yukon, the husky's tears were already freezing cold around her eyes. "Look at me, crying like a newborn, when I just fought a grizzly bear a two days ago", Jenna proclaimed, her voice shameful.

"Don't feel too bad Jen, I've done my fair share of crying over the years", Balto admitted.

Jenna's face lifted, and she hugged Balto again. To Jenna, there was something strangely comforting about hugging Balto, though many would have disagreed with her about the comfort level of hugging a half-wolf.

"Are you feeling better?", Balto asked, concerned.

Jenna nodded, and then locked arms with Balto.

"Now come on, our destination isn't too far way now", Balto reassured her.

"Balto?", Jenna said quietly.

"Hmm?", Balto replied, curious.

"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to hear the rest of the story, about how you made it to Nome, I promise I won't break down like that again", Jenna asked, quickly adding the last part.

Balto hesitated, but the rust and cream husky looked stable enough now. Balto then began to tell her a magical tale, of a treacherous malamute, an unstable ice bridge, an avalanche, a deadly ice cave, and a mysterious white wolf.

**((()-()))**

**_The Boiler Room, 1:45 A.M. Monday, February 2nd, 1925:_**

"So that's everything, from when we left Nenana, to when we arrived here a few hours ago", Kaltag finished, exhausted.

"Whoa", Dixie said speechlessly, sitting only a few feet away from the tired sled dog.

After entering the Boiler Room, dozens of dogs had demanded that the sled dog team recap everything that happened during the serum run. The sled dogs themselves were completely exhausted, but they eventually obliged because they felt the other dogs in Nome needed to know the truth about Balto's heroism, and about Steele's betrayal.

"I still can't believe Steele would do something like that, and if I hadn't heard his side of the story, I would have never believe he lied", Sylvie mused, lying down on the other of Kaltag.

"I _still_ don't believe it!", one dog shouted angrily, standing out in the crowd of mystified dogs. The black furred husky spoke with a surprisingly deep voice, to say he was only four years old. The husky was much younger than both Balto and Jenna, but spoke with youthful arrogance.

Star rolled his eyes, and stared at the husky that had just spoke up. "Oh come on Blaze, you _heard_ the lies Steele told you, and you _saw_ Balto leading the team", Star replied, his voice exasperated.

In response, Blaze stood up, walked over, and angrily put his face only a few inches from Star's, terrifying the poor husky into submission. "Listen to me runt, I've known Steele for years, and I know that he's no traitor, but you all are!", Blaze shouted, speaking to everyone in the Boiler Room now.

"I'm afraid Star has a point Blaze, whether you want to believe it or not, Steele has outstanding evidence against him", one dog replied, standing up. The dog was much older than all the other canines in the room, and spoke with a voice of aged wisdom. The dog was the very same Saint Bernard who had first announced Balto's arrival in Nome, Doc, the town alpha male.

"Listen up old man, even if the rumors are true, you can't really believe that that mongrel Balto was able to bring the team home through a blizzard!", Blaze argued, a venomous edge to his voice as he breathed the word 'mongrel'.

"I don't seem to understand what Balto's breeding has to do with anything", Doc responded, speaking with a very suggestive tone.

Blaze growled slightly, and then stormed out of the Boiler Room, with several dogs following him. Doc sighed, and turned to look Nikki, Kaltag, Star, along with the other three sled dogs from troop 51, Alan, Terry, and Chris.

"In light of everything that's happened, you've done good boys, if it wasn't for your team, most of the people in Nome would be mourning their loved ones right now", Doc said, shaking each of the sled dogs' paws.

"Hey, it wasn't just us Doc, we'd still be freezing our tails off in in the tundra right now if it wasn't for Balto", Nikki said, shaking Doc's paw.

"Where is that boy anyway? He should be here by now", Doc asked, curious.

"Who cares?", one dog shouted, who obviously still held resentment towards the heroic half-wolf.

Ignoring the dog's rude comment, Doc looked at Nikki, who simply shrugged in reply.

"Balto said he was going to take Jenna somewhere special", Dixie spoke up.

"Together", Sylvie added, giggling.

Doc raised his eyebrows, but was surprised when the doors to Boiler Room flew open again, letting in the frigid cold night air.

"So, she finally did it. She finally mated with that half-breed", a snide voice growled.

"Ugh, back again so soon Blaze?", Dixie groaned, immediately recognizing the voice.

The doors of the Boiler Room were now open again, and Blaze was standing before the crowd, sneering.

"In a few months, that lobo lover will be pregnant with his pups, and then they'll be dozens of those little wolf bastards running around this town", Blaze said, his voice cold and vicious and callous.

"Okay, that's enough Blaze!", Doc growled, his face furious.

Blaze simply ignored Doc's fury, and walked over towards Nikki, Kaltag, and Star, his expression smug. "And you guys, I understand you're friends with the half-breed now? But yet, he's not here, congratulating you on such a job well done?", Blaze asked, his voice ambient.

"He's with Jenna right now", Kaltag countered, annoyed.

"Hmm, are you sure? Because if I understand, Balto hates your guts just as much as you used to hate his. So how long will it be before the wolf-dog snaps and decides to get his revenge? Now that's Steele's not your protector anymore?", Blaze chuckled darkly.

Kaltag growled and stood up angrily. "We don't need Steele to protect us anymore!", the husky said firmly.

"You're right, because it's not just the wolf-dog you have to worry about now Kaltag. You abandoned Steele out in the blizzard, I'm sure that he's just as furious with you guys as Balto is", Blaze said, grinning.

"He abandoned us!", Kaltag shouted, his own voice furious now.

But instead of being frightened by Kaltag's anger towards him, Blaze just laughed arrogantly at the husky. "Oh, bring it on big guy, from I heard, you all got your butts kicked by that wolf-dog twice, so why should I be scared by a bunch wimps like you?", Blaze chuckled.

In response, Kaltag lifted his right paw and punched Blaze squarely in the jaw. Thrown backward by the shock, Blaze hit into one of the walls, and collapsed on the floor. However, Blaze was up again in a matter of seconds. The eager husky slowly wiped the blood from his cheek, grinning. "Oh yeah, show me what you've got tough guy!", Blaze chuckled. The husky stood on all four legs, and charged at Kaltag, laughing psychotically.

In response, Kaltag bent forward and bared his teeth, a canine sign of aggression.

"That is enough!", Doc shouted, putting himself between the warring dogs. "Kaltag, control yourself! Blaze, get out of here, now!", Doc ordered, his voice deathly serious.

Blaze scoffed at the Saint Bernard, but eventually walked towards the door. "Just know this old man, when Steele comes back, you'll be one of the first ones he kills, right after that half-wolf freak Balto", Blaze warned, his voice confident.

"Steele will be dealt with accordingly when the time comes", Doc replied, unfazed by the younger husky's threats.

Blaze scoffed one last time, and then walked out the door, following his prejudiced buddies off into the night.

"What a jerk", Nikki said, scowling.

"I know, but what did you expect? Blaze and his gang have been idolizing Steele ever since they were pups, it's like they're his apprentices or something", Kaltag replied.

"No Kaltag, I'm afraid that they're just like you", Doc replied, scowling slightly.

"What?", Star asked, confused.

"They idolized Steele, worshipped the ground he walked on, and even shared his same prejudices, sound familiar to you?", Dixie added, frowning.

"I'm afraid Dixie is right Kaltag, Blaze looks up to Steele the same way you did", Doc added, frowning.

"Yeah, but we're different now, we've changed", Kaltag argued.

"Maybe so, but Blaze was right about one thing, old habits do die hard, are you sure Balto is willing to forgive you so easily?", Doc asked, his voice concerned.

"Yeah, face it bro, if I was in Balto's position, I probably wouldn't forgive you easily either", another dog added, a Canadian Newfoundland named Jared.

With those wise words, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star all fell silent, while all the other dogs started talking amongst themselves, about Balto's bravery, the children's rapid recovery, and the correct punishment for Steele's treachery.

But as Nikki, Kaltag, and Star began to ponder their place in the world, and the punishment they would soon face for their own past sins, they were completely unaware that their ex-boss was right across the street, in the now abandoned Old Mill.

**((()-()))**

**_Alaskan Wilderness, 2:00 A.M. Monday, February 2nd, 1925:_**

After walking for another 30 minutes in the darkness, Balto and Jenna finally reached their destination, a large hill overlooking Nome. In the now far-off distance, Balto and Jenna could see the lantern and the broken bottles were still creating the Northern Lights effect, illuminating Nome, and making the village visible for miles. Balto and Jenna laid on their backs on-top of the hill, perfectly content with the peace and serenity of nature.

"Jenna, did I ever tell you how much I love you?", Balto asked for the second time that night, even though he already knew the answer.

"A thousand times", Jenna replied jokingly.

Balto laughed in return, and Jenna laughed too, before her tone suddenly became serious. "So, what happens next?", she asked, curious.

Balto stopped laughing and pondered the thought for a few more seconds. The wolf-dog took a deep breath, and then turned to face his loved one. "Rosie will be just fine, I made sure to listen to the doctor's diagnostic before we left Nome, she'll be recovering in a few more days", Balto replied.

Jenna frowned, the husky knew that Balto was just beating around the bush, but she just didn't know why. "No, I meant, what happens to us next?", she reiterated.

Balto looked at her sadly, already knowing the answer. He took another deep breath and then spoke up. "Well you'll go back to Rosie's house tomorrow morning, you mentioned Steele's still alive, and that's hiding somewhere in Nome?", Balto asked, a dreadful edge to his voice.

Jenna nodded in reply, worried.

Balto stared at the rust and cream colored husky one last time. Jenna had a right to know the truth, even if it would hurt her. And he knew that it would. Balto then forced himself to tell Jenna what he knew was coming, the lingering thought he had been trying to avoid all night.

Jenna's heart froze, as she listened to the wolf-dog's cryptic words.

"Then I imagine Steele's looking for me in Nome right now, and I'll probably be dead by tomorrow morning", Balto finally said, his voice strangely calm.

As Jenna realized the full extent of what Balto was saying, tears flowed down her face. "No! You're not gonna die!", she shouted, standing up so she could speak to the hybrid face-to-face. "I love you! I've never loved you more! Steele will just have to kill me first!", Jenna argued.

At Jenna's words, Balto growled softly, but not in anger, in frustration. Balto knew that the husky still wasn't listening to him, just like she hadn't when they were kids. The hybrid also knew that he had to find a way to convince Jenna that his words were the unavoidable truth.

"And he would Jenna, as long as you're around me!", Balto angrily replied. "You, Dixie, Sylvie, Rosie, no one is safe. Steele and his gang will kill anyone who gets in their way of me! They won't stop Jenna, they'll never stop until I'm dead!", Balto continued, desperately trying to reason with the love-struck husky.

Jenna seemed to be on the verge of tears, and Balto knew he was finally getting through to the husky. "We've already had this conversation before, when we were pups, and you knew what you had to do then, so you know what you have to do now", Balto continued, his voice calmer now.

Tears heavily flowed down Jenna's face, and the husky found it almost impossible to simply speak now. "I'm not going to leave you Balto, not again! Please not again!", she pleaded. "Steele's just going to kill me anyway, so I might as well spend the rest of my days with the man I love, the man I want to spend the rest of my life with", she continued, before wrapping herself around Balto and not letting go for anything.

Balto wanted to mad with her, he wanted to shout at her, he wanted to push Jenna away from him and talk some sense into her. But the wolf-dog he didn't do any of that, because Balto knew that he felt exactly the same way as her, and he knew that he would do the exact same thing if he was in her position. He knew that he would want to spend his last few hours on Earth with the dog he loved, not matter what the consequences would be.

"**_A Lonely Decision_**", by Murray Gold begins.

After thinking for a few more seconds, Balto slowly pushed Jenna away from him, and his anger completely dissolved from his body. The wolf-dog looked back towards Nome, and then looked back at Jenna, who was still crying uncontrollably.

"Jenna, I promise that I'm not going to leave you again", Balto whispered, softly rubbing the husky's cheeks.

"I don't believe you", she replied, tears still streaming down her face.

"I didn't think you would. But believe it or not, I feel exactly the same way as you do", Balto explained, lifting up Jenna's head so that he could look into her eyes.

"Jenna, I have something I need to ask you, and I want you to sincerely think about it before answering", Balto requested, his voice reluctant.

"What is it?", Jenna asked, while rubbing the last of her frigid tears from around her eyes.

Balto looked at the husky, fighting to make the last few words come out of his mouth. It was hard for Balto to continue, because he knew what would happen if he did. He knew that it would only take five little words to change both of their lives forever, for better or for worse.

"Jenna, I guess what I'm trying to say is… that when I was trapped in that bottomless chasm, all I could think about was you. About how I had wasted my entire life wallowing in self-pity, and about how I had never told you how I felt about you", Balto explained, his voice soft.

As she sensed the heaviness in his voice, Jenna could begin to see where Balto was going, but still made no effort in arguing. The husky wanted to make sure she was right first before interrupting him. She could tell that the wolf-dog had something very important that he needed to get off his chest.

"And I promised myself that if I ever made it out of there alive, that I would take a leap of faith", Balto continued, trying his best to explain his recent epiphany.

Jenna heart stopped, and the husky held her breath, waiting for the hybrid's final words.

"Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is…", Balto continued, his voice trailing off at the end.

As Jenna continued to wait patiently, the wolf-dog stopped to think one last time before continuing on with his question. What Balto was about to say would either be his biggest mistake or the greatest decision he would ever make in his entire life. With a newfound sense of courage surging within him, Balto decided to go through with his decision.

To Jenna's amazement, Balto slowly got down on his hind legs, and then kneeled before her. As he lifted his head up, Balto stared directly into Jenna's eyes, feeling the passion within her soul.

"Jenna Jones, I don't care what the other dogs think anymore, because I love you more than anything else in the entire world. And I know I don't have a ring or anything formal, but…", he began, his voice still nervous.

Jenna continued to hang onto every word that Balto spoke, though she was still not breathing.

"Jenna, will you marry me?", Balto asked, his voice hopeful.

Jenna gasped in surprise of Balto's unexpected proposal, and instantly froze, the husky's muscles locking up all over her body. As Balto waited for an answer, he realized that Jenna was still too shocked to even move. And after a few more seconds, he began to get worried when he realized that Jenna wasn't even blinking.

"Jenna are you okay?", he asked nervously.

Again, Jenna still didn't move, and the husky's eyes were now blank and empty.

"Jenna? Jenna, speak to me!", Balto shouted, his voice growing more and more urgent.

After Jenna still didn't respond to the sound of his voice, Balto stood up, and starting roughly shaking her, hoping to shock the husky back to life.

"I'm fine! I'm fine! I guess you just caught me by surprise with that", Jenna abruptly shouted, as Balto breathed a sigh of relief.

"But the answer's still yes", Jenna added, smiling.

Immediately realizing what the husky had meant, Balto lifted up his head, his expression hopeful. "So, does that mean?", the hybrid asked, silently hoping and praying that he was right.

"Yes Balto, I would be honored to accept your hand in marriage, I would have never even dreamed of saying no", Jenna proudly replied.

Balto stared at her in wonder, and at a complete loss for words. But instead of a replying, Balto abruptly grabbed Jenna around her waist and pulled the husky forward, until her face was only a few inches from his. The wolf-dog looked into Jenna's eyes for a few moments, before slowly leaning towards her. The somber orchestra music swells to it's peak, as Balto and Jenna passionately locked lips, sharing their first real kiss.

Jenna was shocked by Balto's sudden motion, but still didn't fight the feeling of his lips pressing against hers. After a few more seconds, Jenna started to relax, and caressed her tongue against Balto's, and the wolf-dog soon did the same, adding to the passion and heat of the moment. As the two dogs held each other in their arms, they both moved in perfect sync, truly a match made in heaven.

After another few minutes, Balto and Jenna pulled away from each other, both of them feeling awkward and embarrassed.

"Jenna, I'm sorry if I came on too strong, but I…", Balto finally said, rambling, before Jenna placed her paw over the wolf-dog's mouth.

"Don't ruin the moment", she whispered, before pulling him forward again.

Balto smiled widely, and to his surprise, the two dogs were locking lips again in just a few seconds, enjoying the feeling even more than they had the first time. This time, the force of their kiss caused both dogs to fall backwards on the ground, rolling around through the snow like they were a pair of newborn puppies.

As the music slowed again, Balto and Jenna rolled away from each other, both of them gasping for air. After taking a few more deep breaths, Balto and Jenna looked at each other, both at total loss for words about the proposal and about their kiss.

And then, Balto felt the urge inside him again, the urge to howl. And just like before, the wolf-dog didn't even try to resist it, but instead lifted up his head and let the howl escape from his lips.

It was perhaps the longest wolf howl that Jenna had ever heard, and also the loudest, echoing all the way across the nearby mountains. As the howl reverberated all around her, Jenna covered her ears with her paws, trying to block out the noise.

"Ow", she whispered softly.

Realizing that he was causing his new fiancée pain, Balto immediately lowered his head, and grinned sheepishly at the husky.

"Sorry", Balto awkwardly apologized.

"No, I kinda liked it, though the howling's still a bit new", Jenna observed, removing her paws from around her ears.

Balto chuckled, and resumed howling, though at a lower volume this time, and Jenna soon joined in, just as she had before. As the two howls blended together, the full moon hung overhead, breaking through the storm clouds again for the first time in days.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome, Alaska, 2:30 A.M. Monday, February 2nd, 1925:_**

Miles away from the hill where Balto and Jenna were lying, a lonely malamute could still hear the couple's howls. In fact, everyone in Nome could hear them howling, but simply chalked it up as coming from a wolf pack that was somewhere near Nome. But Steele knew better than that, he could recognize that accursed voice anywhere. Steele knew that one of those howls belonged to Balto, the meddling mongrel who had ruined his life for him. For years, the nosy half-breed had been getting in his way, he had stopped him from mating with Jenna when they were teens, and tonight he had stolen his fame, and worse, had forced him into becoming an outcast.

Steele had enjoyed bullying the wolf-dog, it helped to heal the pain of his loss. Making the pathetic wolf-dog miserable was his way of getting revenge on all wolves, for what they had taken from him when he was just a young pup. But Steele had had no idea that the hybrid would eventually work up enough nerve to do what he had done that night, overthrow him. Otherwise, Steele would have put that mutt out of his misery years ago. It's what he should have done after Balto had defeated the first time, and then the second time.

Steele growled to himself. It seemed that the malamute never learned from his mistakes. He should have just killed Balto and Jenna all those years ago, back when they were still weak and defenseless. Still, at least now, he could have a real challenge in defeating Balto, it wouldn't have been very sporting if the hybrid had begged for mercy while Steele slit his throat, not too mention pathetic. At least this way, he could have a little fun with Balto first.

There was nothing Steele loved more than a good dog fight, the action, the excitement, and the overwhelming feeling of power the malamute got whenever he dominated over another alpha male. It made him feel like he was invincible, like nothing in the whole world could touch him. Steele could only imagine what he would feel like when he finally rubbed Balto off the face of the Earth.

Still, his dream would have to wait for another day. Steele knew he couldn't stay in the Old Mill any longer, he had already stayed inside the abandoned factory for much too long, secretly crying over his defeat. He knew that by now, his traitorous friends would have already told the other dogs about his dark deeds, and that Doc and Jared would be forming a dog posse to come and get him, or worse. Steele growled, he would kill his teammates soon after he killed Balto. After all he had done for them, they had betrayed him, for some half-wolf mutt.

Steele stood up, and then looked at the full moon one last time. The symbol of the full moon was so deeply entrenched in wolf and werewolf mythology, that every time Steele looked at the moon, it reminded him of Balto.

"Until next time, Lobo", Steele growled.

And with that, Steele ran through the doors of the Old Mill, and into the night. As the black and white malamute disappeared into the darkness, the only trace left of him was his chewed-up bone lying on the floor of the Old Mill, which was now illuminated by the light of the full moon.

**((()-()))**

**_Alaskan Wilderness, 2:30 A.M. Monday, February 2nd, 1925:_**

Unaware of Steele's newly self-imposed exile, the happily engaged couple of Balto and Jenna continued to lie on top of the hill, talking about the little things in life, such as their childhood or how many stars there were in the night sky.

"The moon sure is full tonight", Jenna whispered.

"It sure is", Balto replied.

"And there are so many stars in the sky, it kind of reminds me of our first night as a couple, when you took my on that tour of Nome", Jenna reminded Balto, smiling.

"Well, we weren't technically a couple", Balto whispered.

"Who cares? We still had fun, didn't we?", Jenna replied.

Balto laughed in response, and then barked out an answer. "Yeah, remember when we were still kids, and we had that snowball fight? I had never had so much fun before, especially when you fell in the snow bank", Balto laughed.

"Yeah, and when I pounced on you, I swear, I'd never seen so much snow collect on such little fur before", Jenna laughed back.

The two stared at the moon, and began to reminisce on old times.

"It's hard to believe that was just two years ago, isn't it?", Balto asked.

"Totally, back during our teen years", Jenna replied, chuckling softly as she remembered her first meeting with Balto. Even though it had only been just two years ago, it was 14 years from a dog's point of view, which was practically an eternity.

"If I remember, you had just moved into Nome, and I couldn't wait to meet you, but instead, you met me", Balto began, remembering that day also.

"I think it started a little further back than that Balto, back during the winter of 1922", Jenna politely interrupted.

Balto raised his eyebrows, but continued nonetheless. "Okay then, it started in the winter of 1922, in a quiet little town called Nome", Balto continued.

Jenna laid down beside him, snuggling next to her new fiancée, and remembering some of the best days of her life, over two years ago to that day.

**((()-()))**

**_Author's Note:_**

Like I mentioned in the introduction, anyone who's every taken an interest in music knows that some good background music can really bring out the raw emotions of a movie scene, and can sometimes cause you lose to control of your own. Some of the most famous examples of this being "**_The Land Before Time_**" (1987), "**_Balto_**" (1995), and "**_Titanic_**" (1997), I break down in tears every time I see these movies. After all, the famous white-wolf scene from "**_Balto_**" wouldn't have had nearly the same impact that it did, if it wasn't for James Horner's original piece "**_Heritage of the Wolf_**", that played in the background during the scene.

So when I got around to writing Balto's proposal to Jenna, I quickly realized that it was one of the most important scenes in the entire series, and needed an accompanying score so the readers could feel the sadness and overwhelming joy of Balto and Jenna's love for each other. Eventually, after searching through my entire collection of classical music, I found just the right track - "**_A Lonely Decision_**", a modern orchestral piece written by British composer, Murray Gold. "**_A Lonely Decision_**" first debuted in the Doctor Who episode "**_The Beast Below_**" (Original Airdate: April 10, 2010), when Amy Pond saves the Star Whale from being wrongfully executed the Doctor, and has since made appearances in episodes such as "**_Victory of the Daleks_**" (2010), and "**_The Curse of the Black Spot_**" (2011).

I found this track was every bit as sad and beautiful, and thoughtful, as the score that James Horner had written for the Balto soundtrack, and may have even exceeded it. The track starts out slow and somber slowly growing stronger and stronger every second, and eventually swells to it peak, before resuming it's slow pace again. For this story, the tragic piece symbolizes Balto being torn between what he believes is right, and being with the woman that he loves, before eventually choosing to let go of his fears, and follow his heart. Shortly after I had finished writing and scoring this chapter, I decided to do the same for some of the other important scenes throughout the season, utilizing themes and tracks written by famous composers such as James Horner, Murray Gold, Alan Silvestri, and John Williams.


	4. Chapter 4: The Wolf Dog

**_Chapter 4: The Wolf-Dog_**

**_Nome, Alaska, 7:00 A.M. Friday, December 1st, 1922:_**

As the sun slowly rose over the horizon, a brown-furred wolf-dog watched as a sleeping town awakened, ready for a brand new day. The hybrid sat on the edge of his trawler, both intrigued and annoyed at the same time. Balto sighed, watching from a distance as the humans walked up and down Front Street. Balto knew why the humans were so busy that day, it was the first day of December, Christmas Day was now only 25 days away.

The wolf-dog hybrid had only been living near Nome, Alaska for two years now, but he already knew about all the human's traditions, either from watching them from afar, or from learning about them from his Uncle Boris. Christmas was a day when the humans celebrated the birth of their savior, a man named Jesus Christ, who had supposedly lived over 2,000 years ago. Despite his knowledge of human tradition, Balto still didn't understand human religion yet. Balto was a very skeptical person, not one to believe in magic or spirits.

"Watching the humans again?", a curious voice asked.

"Yeah Boris, I just don't get it, what's the big deal about Christmas?", Balto replied, turning around to look at the snow goose who was standing behind right him.

"Well boychic, Christmas is a magical time when the humans all get together to celebrate each other's well being, and to spend quality time together", Boris said, sitting down next to his adopted son.

"Really? Cause I always thought it was just about kids getting presents", Balto teased lightly.

"Well, I guess it's that too", Boris simply responded, frowning.

Balto laughed in response, but Boris only frowned again, the old goose never was one for humor.

Balto knew the reason the humans were so busy this morning, was so they could get their Christmas shopping done early. Though Christmas was once a religious holiday for devout Christians, it was now reduced to a holiday mostly about gift giving, and tremendous feasts (which was how most of the humans liked it, especially the children).

Still, Balto had other thoughts on his mind, his birthday was coming up, it was only three days before Christmas. December 22, 1920, was the day that Boris had found Balto in the wild, and that day had also been his first birthday. Balto knew this because he had supposedly told Boris about his birthday on the day the snow goose had found him.

Balto was a wolf-dog hybrid, his mother was a wild wolf, and his father had been a domesticated sled dog, but that was the only thing he remembered about his parents. It had been so long since he had last seen them, that their faces had literally faded from his memory, lost in time. Balto wished everyday that he could be with them, instead of stuck there in Nome, where every man, woman, and dog hated him.

During the 1920s, wolves were still highly indigenous to Alaska, and often traveled in large packs of 10 or more. Many of the humans claimed that wolves would sneak into their villages and murder their children, but Balto doubted that. The wolf-dog knew that wolves were shy and defensive animals that tried to avoid humans whenever they could, but he just couldn't understand why the humans would make up such lies about him and his kind. Balto suspected that many of the humans and dogs fabricated stories about wolves simply because of their prejudices. Either way, the humans that lived Alaska didn't trust wolves, and would shoot any on sight if they met any, including wolf-dog hybrids like Balto.

Balto had came to Nome when his parents died two years ago, when he was first adopted by Boris. Boris had raised him inside an old abandoned fishing boat, and treated Balto as his son. But during his first day in Nome, Balto had learned the hard way that the local dogs didn't trust wolves either.

On his very first day, the half-wolf pup had been harassed by some of the local dogs, who were all older and bigger than him. These particular quartet of dogs, Balto never forgot their names, because he hated them more than any dog had ever hated another. Nikki, Kaltag, Star, and Steele. The four pups had called him names like 'lobo', 'freak', 'half-breed', and 'creature'. These names had hurt him, but not nearly as bad when their lead dog, Steele, had insulted his deceased mother. Balto had wanted to fight the bullying malamute and make him pay for his words, but the dog was a coward, never traveling anywhere without his three-dog gang to back him up. While Balto could have fought one or two of them, he couldn't handle all four at once, and was forced to retreat to his home with Boris.

In the days that followed, Balto had tried to ignore them, run away from them, and sometimes even avoid Nome entirely. Still, Balto was forced to brave the village of Nome whenever he got hungry, because there was no other source of food nearby. Since he was raised by a goose instead of a wolf pack, Balto had no idea how to hunt or stalk prey, and stealing food from the humans was his only chance of surviving, even if it meant risking another encounter with Steele and his gang.

Balto sighed again, this time from the painful memory. The day he had first met Steele was over two years ago, back when he was still just a six month old pup. Now he was lanky three year old dog, (21 in dogs years), and was healthy enough to face Steele again if he had to. But during his time in Nome, Balto had become a sort of pacifist, not wanting to have to fight anyone unless he absolutely had to. Instead, Balto chose to spend most of his time either in the woods exploring, or inside the trawler with Boris, sleeping the day away. The old boat was his one place of sanctuary.

Much like the famous French novel, "_The Hunchback of Notre Dame_", Balto came to the old boat whenever life became too hard from him to handle. Many times, Balto had broken down crying inside the old boat after a vicious beating from Steele. Even though crying was often considered undignified for a man, it helped to release some of the pain and frustration that he felt everyday. The boat was the one place Balto felt he could be himself without facing judgment and ridicule from the other dogs.

Balto slowly walked past Boris, and into the cabin on top of the main deck. Inside, Balto found his faithful blanket. He often used it as both a rug, and a way to keep warm at night. Balto had spent many sleepless nights crying underneath the rug, icy cold tears flowing down his cheeks from his uncontrollable breakdowns.

In his darkest hours, Balto often wished that he had never been born, and that Boris had never found him and taken him in. Still, Balto's suicidal thoughts always passed after he had a few hours to calm down. There was no need to do anything drastic. After all, his life wasn't always that bad, he had shared some pretty memorable moments with Boris, and his only other two friends, Muk and Luk. The polar bear brothers always managed to put a smile on Balto's face with their playful antics. Even though the bears were in no way related to him, they still referred to Boris as their 'Uncle Boris'.

While Balto pondered these fond memories of his few friends in the world, a loud noise caught his attention, which he recognized as the sound of seven dogs barking, and close by too. Realizing that another sled team was passing right by his trawler, Balto immediately ran back on deck, and peered over the edge of the boat, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever it was that was leading the team.

The wolf-dog was fascinated by the world of sled dog racing, and how often humans relied on such simple animals as dogs for their basic survival. The wolf-dog even dreamed of leading his own sled dog team sometimes, but he knew that it would always be nothing but a dream, a distant fantasy that would never come true. Balto knew that because of how the humans and the dogs thought of him, he'd never even get to be a wheel dog, and that it was pointless to even dream about something that would never happen. It was hopeless, but still, as Balto continued to watch the sleds arrive, he couldn't help but fantasize about being down there, pulling a large wooden sled behind him.

To Balto's surprise, instead of just one big team, there were three separate sleds below them, each with at least seven dogs pulling them. The first sled was driven by a man, and seemed to be carrying food and other precious cargo. The second sled was driven by another man, which carried light furniture and rugs, and Balto could tell the furniture was obviously not from Alaska. And the third sled contained four human passengers, a man, a woman, another man, and a little girl, who looked to be no older than four or five years old. But it was really the fifth passenger that intrigued Balto.

"**_Little Amy_**" by Murray Gold begins.

Sitting in the lap of the little girl was a young husky dog. She had a red and white fur coat, one that was the exact same color as rust and cream, and looked to be around the same age as Balto.

To Boris' surprise, Balto leapt off the side of the boat, and onto the snowy ground below them. "Wait, where are you going?", the goose shouted, worried.

However, Balto simply ignored him, and continued to follow after the sleds, completely fascinated by them. Balto could tell that the humans were new arrivals, but why anyone would travel hundreds of miles to live in a small village like Nome, he didn't understand. Balto had to know more about them, even if he had to risk being seen. Balto especially wanted to know more about the beautiful husky the little girl was playing with.

After a few more minutes, the teams of three arrived at the edge of Front Street, and the sleds slowly came to a halt. After taking a minute to stretch their tired legs, the humans passengers began to climb out.

Worried that the human family would see him, Balto quickly hid behind a nearby barrel, and peered around the corner.

"Well, here we are guys! Nome, Alaska!", a man said proudly, raising his arms in the air.

Another man climbed out the sled, followed by the woman and the girl. "This is Nome? We rode across hundreds of miles of this frozen wasteland, with a bunch of dogs, just so you could move out here?", the second man said sarcastically.

"Oh stop complaining Joe, you know I've always dreamed of living here, out on the last frontier", the first man replied, frowning.

The woman was the next one to speak up, smiling. "Thanks for coming out here to help us set up our new home Joe, I know this is a long way away from your ranch in South Dakota", the woman said.

"It was nothing Evy, ever since you married my little brother all those years ago, you're an honorary part of the family now", Joe replied, shaking Eve's hand.

Balto tilted his head to the side, he was beginning to understand now. The small human family were immigrants from North America, who had came to start a new life in Alaska.

Joe turned to look at his younger brother, and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Now Tom, I want you know that I'm not staying here long, I'll help you fix your new place up, and maybe even look for a good farming dog while I'm here, but after that, I'm going back to the family ranch", Joe declared.

Thomas nodded his head, and turned to look at the empty sled. The little redheaded girl who had came with them was trying to climb out of the sled, and her pet husky was helping her. The dog was allowing the girl to step on top of her head, since the infant girl was still too short to climb out on her own. "Come on Jenna, just boost me up a little bit higher", the girl said, her voice anticipant.

Balto immediately pushed his head out further from the barrel, so he could see more of the girl and her dog. "_So, Jenna's her name_", Balto mused silently, even more curious now.

"Careful now Rosie", Tom laughed, before picking up the little girl in his arms.

"Dad, I could have made it", Rosie whined.

"You don't need to get a concussion on your first day here", Tom replied, tickling the girl's stomach.

At first, Rosie laughed, but then the girl started to shiver. "Brr, it sure is colder here than it was back in America, dad", she observed, displaying a surprising amount of vocabulary for someone her age. Balto could immediately tell this family was not like any he had ever seen before.

After a few more seconds, Tom carefully put Rosie back on ground, so the little girl could walk on her own. "You're right dear, we've gotta get inside before you catch pneumonia", Tom said, grabbing some of the suitcases from the sled. Evelyn and Joe did the same, while their guide uncoupled the other sled dogs so they could roam free.

Though some of the other sled dogs showed interest in the husky named Jenna, she seemed mostly interested in her own owner, Rosie. Balto was surprised by this, it was very rare to see a dog that devoted to his or her master, or at least it was in a town like Nome, where dogs were mostly bred to work instead of play with their owners. It was becoming more and more obvious that they were foreigners from America.

Alaska would not become the 49th state until the year 1959, before then the United States was considered to be another nearby country to Native Alaskans, like the independent countries of Canada, and Mexico (and at the time, Hawaii). Balto's thoughts were interrupted when Joseph suddenly spoke up again.

"Still, maybe this place isn't all bad, I'll be the only one in South Dakota who can say that he has a little brother living in another country", Joe chuckled, while carrying several suitcases.

Balto saw that the family was walking towards a nearby house, which he assumed was their new home. The house was painted red, and had a large yellow fence with a broken gate planted around it.

"We'll have to do something about that gate", Eve muttered, straining to carry her share own of the luggage.

Tom slowly managed to pull a small golden key out of his pocket, and opened the door. Normally, Tom would have loved to help his wife carry her share of the luggage, but his hands were just as full as hers. Balto watched as all four humans entered the house, followed by the red husky.

The house was much too dark inside for Balto to see the interior, but he could tell that it had a lot of room in it. After making a few more trips outside to retrieve the rest of the luggage, Thomas closed the door shut, and locked it with a small metal key, in case someone tried to sneak inside.

Balto stood in the same spot for a few more moments, trying to comprehend what he had just seen. He knew that it was a human family, and he knew that they were from another country, but the humans weren't the ones that were really interesting to him. The red husky he had seen with them was all he could think about, ever since he had first saw her. She was the most beautiful female dog he had ever seen, and from what he could tell, she was kind to both her owners and to her friends. He would love to meet the girl, befriend her, and maybe even go on a date with her.

"**_Roman Paradox_**" by Murray Gold begins.

As Balto walked down Front Street, the wolf-dog hybrid wasn't aware that he was now out in the open, putting him in full view of every dog that was passing by him.

"Hey everyone, it's that wolf-dog again!", someone shouted, shattering Balto's dreams and his newfound peace of mind.

Balto turned around to see that every dog on the street now had their eyes fixed on him. Some of the dogs looked shocked, some horrified, some disgusted, some just looked away, and others looked downright angry with him.

"What are you doing here?", one female dog asked, curious. The dog was a whole lot shorter than the others, and Balto could tell by her proper grooming that she was a show dog. Balto had seen the dog before, and recognized her as being a Brooklyn immigrant named Dixie.

"Isn't that Balto, the wolf-dog?", an afghan hound named Sylvie asked, her voice curious too.

Balto chuckled sheepishly, as he realized that so far the dogs didn't seem to making an aggressive moves against him. "Um, hi ladies", he said nervously.

The two dogs raised their eyebrows, not knowing whether to flattered or offended.

"Hey wolf-dog!", someone shouted from a distance.

Balto looked behind him to a see a black husky sneering at him, an angry expression on the dog's face. The dog was considerably younger than him, no more than a year old, but was surrounded by three other dogs. The angry dog immediately reminded Balto of Steele and his gang, and realized that he had seen the dog talking to Steele several times before.

"Blaze", Balto said bitterly.

The dog worshipped Steele, and wanted to be just like him, he was like the unofficial fourth member of Steele's gang. Since Steele was the lead dog of the local sledding team, most of the dogs in Nome looked up the malamute, and gladly shared his prejudice against wolves.

"Derek, go find Steele. He'll be glad to know that the half-wolf is back in town again", Blaze sneered to one of his friends.

The brown husky known as Derek nodded his head, and then ran inside the Old Mill.

Balto's heart immediately stopped. The hybrid knew that if he was still there when Steele arrived, a fight would immediately follow, one that he would surely lose. Balto looked at Blaze, and then at the crowd of dogs that were surrounding him, and he saw a small opening on the eastern side of the crowd. However, Balto knew that if he tried to run, Blaze would just catch up with him from behind. There was only one way out now.

"What's the matter wolfy? Are you scared?", Blaze sneered, advancing forward.

Balto took one last look at the young husky, braced himself, and then ran right towards him. Blaze stepped back in shock of Balto's unexpected retaliation, which was exactly what the clever hybrid had wanted him to do. Balto quickly ran past Blaze, and then bolted down Front Street, not willing to risk another confrontation with Steele so soon.

Realizing that he had been tricked, Blaze growled in annoyance, and set off after the wolf-dog, with his two other friends right behind him.

"What was that all about?", Sylvie asked, confused, and Dixie simply shrugged in reply.

A few seconds later, Steele and Derek emerged from the Old Mill.

"Where is he? Where's the wolf-dog?", Steele asked, his voice anticipant.

"He went that way, Blaze and his pals are in hot pursuit", Dixie said, blushing from the sight of Steele.

"Excellent", Steele smiled, before dashing off in the direction that Blaze had just left.

"You could say 'thank you', you know!", Dixie shouted after the sled dog, frustrated.

"Hey, Blaze, save some for me!", Steele shouted, ignoring Dixie's cries like she wasn't even there. Steele was ready for action. He enjoyed the days he would meet up with the wolf-dog, because when he did, he could put the half-wolf in his place. The malamute would not tolerate wolves trying to sneak into his town, especially not half-wolf freaks like Balto, which he considered to be even worse than purebred wolves. Steele also knew that Blaze was still too young to handle try and Balto alone, so the younger dog would just have to sit back, relax, and watch an old pro do the job up right.

**((()-()))**

Balto ran as fast as he could. He could see the trawler in clear sight, only a few meters ahead of him. Balto looked behind him, and saw that Blaze and his gang was right on his heels, followed by Steele and a few other dogs.

"Oh shoot!", Balto exclaimed, pushing himself ahead even faster.

On top of the old boat, Balto could see Boris was still waiting for him, a look of absolute terror on the snow goose's face. "Come on, come on kiddo, you can make it!", the goose shouted, terrified for his son.

Balto kicked with his hind legs, rapidly propelling himself forward, and quickly ran up the ramp that led to the boat's deck. But the hybrid knew he was not out of danger yet. Using as much strength as he could summon, Balto kicked the ramp with all four of his legs, sending it flying away from the edge of the boat. The ramp tilted upwards, and then fell backwards, preventing anyone from climbing up the boat after him.

As Blaze realized that the plank was going to land on top of him, the husky yelped, and avoided it by jumping to the side. Steele and the others did the same, and the plank crashed against the snow.

Steele snarled and looked up at the triumphant wolf-dog. "You may have won this time lobo, but one day I'll catch you on my turf, in my element, and then your little wolf ass will be mine!", Steele swore, seething. The enraged malamute reluctantly turned around, and began walking back towards Nome.

"Did I do good Steele?", Blaze eagerly asked, his voice hopeful.

"Better than you've done before, someday we'll get that wolf", Steele replied, though the malamute's voice seemed distracted by something.

Blaze wagged his tail, pleased that he had earned the approval of his idol.

As Steele, Blaze, and his lackeys left, Balto and Boris shared a collective sigh of relief.

After taking a few minutes to catch his breath, Boris looked Balto, scowling. "What were you thinking son?", Boris scolded.

"I wanted to see this human family, and this husky that was with them, I didn't notice that Blaze had seen me", Balto explained, panting. He then turned to look at the gangplank that was now lying on the ground. "If I hadn't tipped that gangplank, we'd be dead by now", the hybrid observed, shocked.

"Well, nice work kiddo, except for one thing, how are we supposed to get the plank back up?", Boris asked sourly.

"I'll think of something", Balto replied, though not really concerned with their current predicament. He was still thinking about the husky, and about meeting her. But then reality hit him. He was half-wolf. The close call he had just had only proved that the dogs of Nome would always be after him. No other dog would ever love him, and after Jenna spoke to the other dogs, she would know all about him. But not the real him, just what the other dogs thought of him. Balto sighed, and walked away, completely exhausted. A good nap would allow him to rethink the recent events of the day, and clear his mind of his heartbreak for a few more hours.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome, Alaska, 8:00 A.M. Monday, December 4th, 1922:_**

The weekend was fairly normal for the wolf-dog and his adoptive father. When Muk and Luk visited the trawler the next day, they helped Balto and Boris to lift the gangplank back onto the ship. But besides the polar bears' brief visit, Balto kept mostly to himself for the rest of the day. Throughout most of Friday and Saturday, he was depressed about the husky he had came so close to knowing. Eventually, the half-wolf got hungry, but he didn't dare risk going back into Nome, not after the close call he had had with Steele and Blaze. Instead, he chose to venture into the forest and scavenge for food.

Being a pacifist, Balto refused to kill any kind of living creature, even the smaller, weaker animals. Despite his carnivorous instincts, Balto found it impossible to kill another innocent life, to cruelly take away someone else's fate simply so he could keep on living his own miserable life. So instead of a normal wolf diet that consisted of rabbits, deer, and caribou, Balto chose to eat twigs and berries. It wasn't very filling, but it kept him going throughout the weekend. He even made a long trip to a meadow that he had found a few months earlier, a huge field located at the base of a mountain that seemed to come alive whenever the sun reached it's highest point in the sky.

By Sunday, Balto's spirits had lifted slightly, but he was still unwilling to venture into Nome. Boris didn't know what to do about his son, he had never seen Balto so afraid of Steele and his gang before. "_The incident with Steele must have shaken him up worse than I thought_", the goose thought, watching as Balto let himself grow hungrier and hungrier all weekend.

Finally, when Monday morning came around, Boris watched as Balto laid underneath his rug, ignoring the feeling of churning and turmoil inside his stomach. Eventually, Boris worked up enough nerve to say something. "Kiddo, it pains me to see you like this. You can't just lay under that rug forever", Boris said, concerned.

Balto sighed, and placed his massive paws over his head. "Well, what else can I do Boris? I can't go in the woods, the other wolves would kill me on sight if they caught me in their territory, and I can't go back into town either, Steele's still there, and I know he's just waiting for me", Balto explained, his voice depressed.

Boris sat next to the wolf-dog, and rubbed his back with his left wing. "Come on kiddo, you can't just lie here and let yourself die", Boris said, his voice desperate.

Balto simply looked up at the snow goose, and considered the possibility of Boris' words. The idea of putting an end to his misery was sounding more and more enticing everyday.

"Your mother would want you to live", Boris added, his voice encouraging.

Balto's ears perked up at the thought of his mother, and he knew that Boris was right. Whoever who his mother had been, she had given up her life to save her son, and she wouldn't want to him to waste his life away, living in fear.

"Alright, I'll go", Balto sighed, standing up. "Besides, Steele can't possibly make me feel any worse than I do now", the wolf-dog added, gloomily.

**((()-()))**

A few minutes later, Balto peeked around the corner of a building. He didn't see anyone, so far, the street was empty. Nodding to Boris, Balto quickly crossed the street, and ran to the nearest place to find food, the butcher's shop, ran by James Avery. Balto knew that the butcher was always leaving scraps of food outside for the local dogs to eat. After all, the younger dogs were the future of sled dog racing, and thus had to be kept well fed. Since their future depended entirely on these dogs, the citizens of Nome often fed the local sled dogs some of their leftover food. But Balto was crafty, and often found the scraps before the other dogs did.

Balto was lucky today, he had found a small pile of food, in the alleyway outside the butcher's shop. Balto and Boris looked up and down the street again, and then moved towards the food. As Boris feasted on the food, ravenously gobbling it down, Balto reluctantly chewed on a bratwurst.

"I still can't believe it, a vegetarian wolf", Boris exclaimed, staring at Balto.

Balto ignored him, and continued to chew, savoring the first taste of meat that he had had in days. Still, he felt a little bit guilty about eating something that had died of unnatural causes.

"How can you not like all this delicious meat?", Boris asked, curious.

Balto simply shook his head, not really having an answer to the snow goose's question.

Boris shrugged, but as he was about to bite down on another juicy tenderloin, Balto heard the distinctive sound of dogs growling.

"Meat that should have been ours!", an angry voice shouted behind them.

Balto sighed. The wolf-dog had already recognized the voice, and didn't even bother turning around, since he already knew who it was. However, this still didn't stop Boris from looking behind them in fear.

Four angry sled dogs were standing behind them, each of them only about a year older than Balto. Balto knew the group of dogs all too well, Steele, and his cronies - Nikki, Kaltag, and Star. The three subordinate dogs were standing behind Steele like how wolves would stand behind their alpha male, flanking him on either side, and waiting for him to make the first move so they could attack. Nikki, Kaltag, and Star smirked, and prepared themselves for their latest attack on the wolf-dog.

Balto threw an annoyed glance at Boris, since the hybrid had already known that this would happen from the minute he had entered town. Balto wished that he had ignored Boris earlier and just stayed inside his boat all day, but his depressed mood kept the wolf-dog from feeling any genuine fear of Steele that day. Instead, all Balto felt was annoyance and impatience.

"Alright Steele, let's just get this over with already", Balto sighed, his voice flat and hollow.

Steele ignored Balto's impudence, and continued to growl at him. "WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE! WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?", Steele shouted, sneering.

Balto just continued to roll his eyes, he had already heard Steele's speech about his inferior breeding at least 50 times before in the past two years, and the malamute's insults really didn't have that much of an effect on the hybrid anymore.

"GET OUT OF THIS TOWN LOBO! YOU TAKE OUR FOOD! YOU TAKE OUR WATER! YOU TAKE OUR SPACE! THIS IS OUR TOWN, YOU FREAK! NOT YOURS!", Steele continued, growing more and more impatient, and surprised by Balto's lack of fear that day. Usually, the wolf-dog ran away from the very sight of them, but for some reason, the hybrid seemed uncharacteristically defiant that morning.

However, the word 'freak' did manage to catch Balto's attention. It was something that he had never Steele call him before, and it reminded him of something. There was something Balto had always thought about, something he just couldn't figure out about Steele, but had never thought to ask him. So instead of running away from the malamute and his gang, like they had expected him to, Balto simply remained in his place, and acted as if he hadn't heard the lead dog's threats, totally defiant.

"Steele, why do you even hate me so much? I've never done anything to you", Balto asked, his voice perfectly calm.

Boris nervously looked at the four dogs, who were all smirking and snickering now, as if they knew something that Balto didn't. The old goose didn't like where the confrontation was going, but knew he was helpless to do anything if a fight broke out.

Steele chuckled at the hybrid, before finally answering. "I don't hate you Balto, I hate what you are! You think you can just live here with dogs? When you should go and live with your kind, the wolves?", Steele replied, his voice filled with hate.

Balto flinched slightly, feeling the enormous amount of hatred that was coming off of Steele's soul at that very moment.

At that, Steele's mouth curled into an evil smile, and he subconsciously starting licking his teeth with his tongue. "Hah! Your mother was lucky to have died when she did, so she wouldn't have to see what a disgrace you were, not that that bitch would have cared anyway", Steele laughed evilly, smirking.

Balto, who up until then, had been turning the other cheek to Steele's insults, immediately snapped his head around at the mention of his mother. The hybrid's whole body began to quiver and shake, and he could feel a small flame inside his soul grower stronger and stronger, the flame representing the immense anger he felt that moment.

"Um, Balto, what's wrong with you?", Boris asked, nervously.

However, Balto just ignored him, and his eyes began to glow, causing the old goose to fall backwards in shock. Ignoring Boris' fear, the wolf-dog turned to face Steele.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?", Balto growled.

"Balto, where are you going with this?", Boris asked, standing up again.

"You heard me Bingo, she was a _whore_", Steele said slowly, putting emphasize on the word before bursting into laughter. Nikki, Kaltag, and Star all started laughing too, their laughter blending with Steele's.

"NO ONE TALKS ABOUT MY MOTHER LIKE THAT!", Balto snarled. At that moment, Balto wanted to kill Steele, to rip the malamute's heart out of his chest.

Realizing that they had pushed the wolf-dog too far, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star quickly ran in front of Steele to back him up.

Knowing that a dog fight was about to break out at any second, Boris stepped back, giving Balto enough space to maneuver. With Boris finally out of the way, Balto grinned, and unleashed the largest growl he could muster.

Seeing the sight of the enraged wolf-dog, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star stepped back, momentarily forgetting their commitment to their boss.

With nothing standing between him and the arrogant malamute, Balto smirked to himself and chuckled loudly. "You're not so tough without your gang. Some lead dog, are you're too much of a coward to do this dog to dog?", Balto uncharacteristically taunted.

Outraged by Balto's boldness, Steele growled back, and beckoned for his gang to re-join him.

Petrified with fear, Boris forced himself to move as far away as possible, and could only watch as all five dogs pounced on each other.

Ignoring all the others, Balto leapt forward, and aimed for Steele's throat, but Nikki rushed in front of him, and shoved the hybrid against a brick wall. Balto struggled to free himself from the sled dog's grip, but the chow-chow was much older and stronger than him. Realizing that Balto was pinned against the wall, Steele grinned and sauntered forward, towards the helpless husky.

"Who's the coward now?", Steele taunted, baring his teeth.

Kaltag and Star quickly joined him, while Nikki released Balto. Since Nikki had placed his massive paws directly on top the husky's neck, he hadn't been able to breathe for more than 30 seconds. Balto gasped for air. But when he looked up however, he realized that he was boxed in, all four dogs were blocking any chance of escape. Coming in from all sides, Steele and his followers quickly backed Balto up against the wall.

Realizing what was about to happen, Boris closed his eyes, and covered his ears, as the dogs relentless bit and slashed Balto. During which, Steele shouted the words, "You're going to wish you were never born wolf-dog!".

Realizing that there was no escape, Balto considered an aerial retreat, and looked around him for any low-lying roofs. He then realized that the roof of the butcher's shop was covered with freshly fallen snow. Seeing the unstable snow was lying precariously on a slanted roof, Balto remembered the number one cause for accidents and death in Alaska.

"_An avalanche_", Balto thought, a light bulb going off inside his head.

Moving before Steele or his gang could strike again, Balto lifted his head up and howled as loud as he could.

Amused, Steele simply stared at the wolf-dog, confused. "What are you doing now? Calling your filthy wolf kin to come save you?", Steele taunted, laughing evilly.

But to Steele's surprise, Balto grinned back at him, and then leapt into the air. Before Steele and his gang could stop him, the wolf-dog leapt over their heads, and out of the immediate danger zone.

"What the?", Kaltag exclaimed, shocked.

"How did he?", Star stuttered, confused.

"Don't just stand there like a bunch of idiots, get him!", Steele ordered, barking.

But before Steele or his friends could advance any further towards the hybrid, they were suddenly crushed underneath a foot-full of snow, and buried alive. Balto's howling had caused the snow to slide off the roof - essentially creating a mini-avalanche.

"That was amazing! I've never seen such quick thinking!", Boris exclaimed, surprised.

But instead of answering, or even stopping, Balto ran up to the goose and grabbed his right wing in his mouth.

"OW! What are you doing?", the goose shouted, shocked.

"We've got to move, NOW!", Balto shouted, before running out of the alley.

Boris watched as the familiar buildings of Nome faded away, but was shocked when Balto still didn't stop running when they reached the old trawler, but instead kept going, towards the woods.

"Where are you going?", Boris shouted, confused.

"Somewhere safe", Balto explained, his voice calmer now.

After running through the snowy forest for a few more minutes, Balto stopped outside the mouth of a large cave, and released Boris from his grip.

Boris immediately shook his wings and his legs to stretch his muscles, and then turned to scowl at his son. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?", Boris demanded, furious.

"I had to get out of there Boris, I had to get out of there before it happened again", Balto explained, his voice solemn and flat now.

"Before what happened again?", Boris asked, curious.

In response, Balto lied down so he could talk to Boris face-to-face. Balto seemed to still be worried about something, but Boris still didn't understand what.

"I shouldn't have let Steele get to me, I shouldn't have let my temper get the best of me like that", Balto explained, hanging his head down in shame.

Surprised, Boris burst into laughter, causing the wolf-dog snap his head up again. "Are you kidding? With talent like yours, you could have easily whupped their tails", Boris said, his voice amused.

"I wanted to kill them Boris!", Balto abruptly shouted, standing on all four legs again.

Shocked by his son's sudden outburst, The snow goose gasped, and fell backwards.

"I wanted to tear them apart and feast on the pieces!", Balto continued, his voice slightly calmer. He looked at the snow goose, hoping he would understand. "The reason I don't like fighting people is because every time I do, something inside me makes me want to kill someone", Balto explained, confessing his own inner demons.

"Steele might be a bully, and a cruel one at that, but he still doesn't deserve to die, no one does", Balto continued, lying on his stomach again.

Boris nodded slowly, understanding the wolf-dog's words. But still, a chill went up the old goose's spine, since he had never seen this side of Balto before.

"So when _are_ we going home?", Boris asked, hoping to break the awkward silence.

"We can't return to the trawler right now Boris, they would just follow us back there, I've just made Steele's list", Balto explained, before staring back at the town of Nome, which was now far off in the distance.

The hybrid had always felt distant from the town and it's inhabitants, but today, the feeling was very literal.

Balto sighed, and closed his eyes, hoping to just sleep the day away like he had originally intended to do.

**((()-()))**

Back in Nome, a lone paw began to claw it's way out of the snowdrift. Soon, the paw was followed by a head, and then a face. Piece by piece, Steele clawed his way out of the pile of snow he had been trapped under for more than 15 minutes. Nikki, Kaltag, and Star soon followed him, shivering from the intense cold.

"That half-breed freak will pay for this!", Steele snarled, seething with rage. "HOW COULD YOU LET HIM DO THAT TO ME?", Steele bellowed at the trio.

"Hey, we were as shocked about that avalanche as you were boss", Kaltag reasoned, his voice nervous.

"I DON'T CARE!", Steele snarled through clenched teeth. "THE NEXT WE SEE THAT WOLF-DOG, YOU'RE GOING TO HELP ME KILL HIM, OR I JUST MIGHT GET RID OF YOU THREE NEXT!", Steele commanded, his face furious.

Nikki, Kaltag, and Star all gulped at the same time, they had never seen Steele like this before. They knew that their boss liked to pick of weaker dogs like Balto, and often tried to dominate over people. But today, Steele seemed completely obsessed with revenge, and was acting like a tyrant. Now he was talking about forcing them to help him take someone else's life, just because he embarrassed him.

For the first time in years, the three dogs began to wonder about their leader's sanity, as they watched him sniff the ground, following Balto's scent across Nome.

"Where are you Bingo?", Steele growled.

**((()-()))**

**_Author's Note:_**

As this is the chapter that first introduces young Balto to young Jenna, it also introduces "**_Little Amy_**", a short piece Murray Gold wrote for the character of Amy Pond during her childhood. The track seems peaceful and innocent at first, but soon grows dark and enigmatic. It speaks about the darkness inside young Amelia Pond, and the mysterious crack in her bedroom wall, that seems to follow her across all of time and space. For "**_Heritage of the Wolf_**", it serves as Jenna's theme, and is one of the most important musical identities of the series. Though it may seem a bit flat and boring at first I think you'll find it be both deep and whimsical on the second or third listening. Also, variations of "**_Little Amy_**" appear throughout this story, during some of the most pivotal moments in Jenna's life. This chapter also features "**_Roman Paradox_**", which contains a variation of "**_Little Amy_**", and a rearrangement of "**_I Am The Doctor_**", which will become Balto's theme later on.


	5. Chapter 5: Jenna

**_Chapter 5: Jenna_**

**_Nome, Alaska, 6:00 A.M. Sunday, December 10th, 1922:_**

Balto and Boris remained inside the cave for the next six days, avoiding both Nome and the trawler until Steele had some time to cool off, because they both knew that the next time they would meet the malamute, he would kill them both on sight. Balto also knew that by now, Steele would have told everyone in Nome about his version of their fight, putting the town on high alert, and every eligible male dog in Nome would be waiting for Balto to return, so they could seek revenge on the wolf-dog.

During the rest of the week, Balto and Boris survived off whatever frozen fruits, nuts, and berries they could find in the forest, even if meant venturing into wolf territory. Because as much as Balto worried about being running into a wolf pack, he figured that he had a better chance of being granted mercy by an alpha wolf, than if he was caught venturing into Nome by the other dogs.

**((()-()))**

One morning, a few hours before the sun was due to rise above the horizon, Boris noticed Balto sitting near the edge of the cave, thinking to himself.

"What is it son?", Boris asked, curious.

"I'm just thinking about what's it like, being different than everyone else", Balto explained, looking at the darkened forest.

"This again?", Boris asked.

Balto sighed, and turned to look at the goose. "When I first met you as a pup, you told me that you knew what it was like being different from everyone else, what exactly did you mean?", Balto asked, his voice curious, yet skeptical.

In response, Boris sat on the cave floor, and looked directly at the wolf-dog, his eyes solemn and saddened.

"I come from a far-away land boychic, from a great and powerful country known as Russia", Boris began, his voice heavy.

Balto continued to listen, fascinated. Even though the hybrid had known the goose for most of his life, he had never known about Boris' life before Nome, at least until now. Balto continued to listen with his keen wolf ears, as Boris told of him of his childhood in Russia, and his youthful days with a flock of snow geese.

"However, after a while, I didn't belong in Russia anymore, since I was just an old snow goose. I was useless to anybody and everybody, and the ridicule of my hometown", Boris explained, taking deep breaths.

Balto could tell that the memories were painful for Boris to relieve, because he had never seen his surrogate father depressed like this before.

"The younger geese would always say that I was old and useless, I was too slow to keep up with the flock, and pretty soon, I was too tired to fly very far", Boris continued.

"Boris, I know I've never asked before, but how old are you?", Balto asked, concerned.

"I am 15 years old Balto, which is very old for a goose, I've lived a long and happy life, but most of my best memories are here in Nome with you, instead of back in Russia", Boris explained, causing the wolf-dog to smile slightly. "Eventually, I knew I couldn't stay in Russia anymore, so I decided to migrate alone, across the seven seas", Boris explained.

"All by yourself?", Balto asked, surprised.

"I didn't have any friends or family left, they had all either died, or been killed by hunters", Boris sadly explained. Boris sighed, and continued his story.

"Eventually, I arrived in British Columbia, and kept flying North, which I knew was crazy because birds are supposed to fly south, but it was like something was drawing me to here", Boris added, musing to himself. "And that something, was you Balto", Boris said, smiling at the hybrid.

The wolf-dog wagged his tail in response. "I never knew Boris, do you ever dream of going back to Russia?", Balto asked, curious.

"Hah! I wouldn't go back there for my life! Besides, I'm staying here until you can walk on all four feet!", Boris proudly declared.

At that, Balto rolled onto his back laughing, causing the old snow goose to frown at him.

"Wait, you're taking care of me?", Balto asked, stifling back laughter.

"Hey, without old Boris Goosinov, you would have been dog chow years ago", Boris reminded Balto, grinning.

The wolf-dog reluctantly nodded his head, and looked outside the cave, as the first sign of daybreak appeared. A small golden orb slowly began to creep over the horizon, and Balto instinctly recognized it as the sun.

"Hey Boris?", Balto said quietly.

"Yes?", Boris replied.

"I know I don't always say it, but you're the best dad I could ask for", Balto said, smiling.

"And you're not quite the best son I could have asked for, but you're still the best one I've ever had", Boris replied, hugging the wolf-dog around the legs, the only part of Balto that the snow goose could even reach.

"I'll just take that as a compliment", Balto muttered, rolling his eyes.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome, Alaska, 8:00 A.M. Monday, December 11th, 1922:_**

The next day, Balto and Boris finally ran out of berries, and all the bushes in the forest had already been stripped bare. After a little persuasion from Boris, Balto figured that it would be safe to venture back into Nome, so long as they were extra cautious.

"_Hopefully seven days was enough time for Nome to have gone off their high alert_", Balto thought, hoping that the dogs of Nome weren't still waiting for him to return.

The duo reluctantly left their cave that morning, and passed by the familiar old trawler, which had been empty all week.

Balto quietly climbed up the ramp, and started sniffing it.

"What are you doing? We're wasting time!", Boris whispered, his voice urgent.

"I'm making sure Steele or Blaze hasn't been here while we were gone", Balto explained, sniffing the deck, as Boris watched anxiously from the ground.

After a few more minutes of inspecting the inside of the boat, Balto leapt off the deck, and their journey into Nome continued.

**((()-()))**

As they made their way towards Front Street, Balto and Boris would look over their shoulders every few seconds, making sure that no one was trying to sneak up behind them. As they got closer and closer to their destination, Balto noticed that Boris was walking behind him. "What are you doing?", Balto asked, annoyed.

"Hey, I saw what you did last week kiddo, if we ever get in some kind of fight, I know you're the one I can count on", Boris replied, causing the wolf-dog to chuckle lightly.

Soon, the two stopped, and peered around another corner. The only dog that Balto could see in the dark alley was a rust and cream colored husky. Balto's heart stopped as he quickly realized who it was. The very same husky who he had seen arriving in Nome with owners. The past week had been so crazy, that he had completely forgotten about her.

Balto strained his neck, trying to see further around the corner, while Boris stared at the love-struck husky, confused.

Balto soon realized that the husky was talking to three other dogs, a black malamute, a white husky, and a gray samoyed. Balto had seen the dogs before, they were sled dogs for the local mail team, known by the names of Devil, Wilson, and Cookie. The lead dog Devil, was named for his vicious attitude towards other male dogs. Still, the red husky seemed to know what she was doing, since she was already having a conversation with the dogs, but Balto was too far away to understand what she was saying.

For a moment, Balto wondered if they were talking about him, if she already knew about his reputation in Nome. Just as his heart was about break, something tapped him on the shoulder, causing the wolf-dog to whirl around and bare his fangs at the mystery intruder. However, his lips receded over his teeth when he realized that it was only Boris, who had grown impatient of his stalling.

"Don't do stuff like that Boris! I could have snapped your neck in half like a twig!", Balto whispered, aggravated.

Unfazed, Boris simply frowned at the wolf-dog. "Perhaps, we should go look for food now, unless you want to eat her?", the old goose replied, raising his eyebrow.

Realizing that Boris had seen his love-struck daze, Balto immediately blushed. "Boris, I'm surprised at you, I thought Russians were all about young love", Balto exclaimed, before walking off.

"No, those are the French, Russians are known for our dancing", Boris replied, doing a little jig as he followed Balto.

Balto rolled his eyes, and looked back at the husky one last time. She was so beautiful. He had forgotten how much it hurt to look at the husky, and know that their love could never be.

"_This must be what Romeo felt like when he first met Juliet_", Balto thought sadly. The outcast sometimes liked to listen to the plays the humans held, hiding underneath Nome's City Hall during the town's performances. In the classic Shakespeare story, "**_Romeo and Juliet_**", two lovers from completely different worlds had tried to live a life of happiness, but their friends and enemies kept getting in their way, preventing them from ever being together. Eventually, the two lovers had committed suicide so that they could find happiness in the afterlife. And Balto had no doubt that even if he ever did have a relationship with the husky, it would end in the same way as Romeo and Juliet's, in their death. Besides, Balto lived the life of an outcast, always running, always hiding from the other dogs, what kind of life would that be for a pampered house dog?

Balto sighed, and turned his head, leaving the love of life behind him.

**((()-()))**

After a little while, Balto and Boris found what they were looking for, the alleyway adjacent to the butcher's shop - the very same place where Balto had fought with Steele and his gang the week earlier. Even though a week had passed since then, Balto was still pretty sore in some places.

"_I hate to admit it, but that Steele sure bites down hard_", Balto thought, grimacing.

Just as he had expected, there was another pile of meat lying in the dark alleyway. It was not quite as large as the last time, but it was big enough to fill up Balto and Boris for the next few days. Balto and Boris quickly ran up to the pile, and grabbed as much meat as they could, intending to store some in the trawler for future use.

But just as they were about to run out of the alley, and head back to the boat, they heard something that shattered both their eardrums. A scream. An extremely loud scream at that.

"**_All The Strange, Strange Creatures (The Trailer Music)_**" by Murray Gold begins.

Balto quickly turned around, and looked in the direction that it had came from. In his opinion, it had sounded like a cry for help, like someone was in grave danger. Balto's brain registered that the scream had belonged to a female, and his stomach lurched. Balto immediately knew who it must have belonged to, since he had only seen one girl dog on the street that morning.

"_No, Dear God, No_", he whispered, before falling to his knees.

"What, who is it?", Boris asked, completely oblivious to the obvious.

"_Jenna_", Balto answered, his voice low and flat.

Suddenly, another scream echoed across the street, crashing into the wolf-dog's sensitive ears. The sharp pain immediately snapped the hybrid out of shocked state, and he quickly got to his feet.

"Jenna! She's in trouble! We've gotta go! Now!", Balto barked, before bolting out of the alley.

"Wait, can't we at least eat first?", Boris shouted after him.

At that, Balto immediately ran back, and grabbed Boris in his mouth.

"Balto, wait! I was just kidding!", the goose insisted, as Balto ran off, with Boris still trapped inside his mouth.

Balto completely ignored the Boris's cries, and instead followed the sound, dashing down Front Street. He passed by several other dogs who were standing in the middle of the street, listening to the scared husky's cries. Normally, they would have insulted the wolf-dog, or even chased after him, but they were all left confused as Balto started running towards the direction of the screams.

"Where's he going?", one dog asked.

"Beats me", another dog replied.

"How the hell should I know?", another dog added.

While running, Balto brushed past several other sled dogs, and even knocked one husky down. "Hey, watch it lobo!", the dog shouted after him.

"Sorry, but it's an emergency!", Balto apologized, shouting back.

Meanwhile, Boris desperately tried to free himself from the wolf-dog's teeth, but to no avail. "Ugh, I hate getting involved with dog fights", the goose sighed, simply letting himself go limp inside Balto's mouth.

Still ignoring Boris' complaints, Balto kept running faster and faster, he just had to find the rust and cream colored husky, before it was too late.

**((()-()))**

Meanwhile, across town, another dog was also running at full speed. But instead running towards harm's way like Balto was, this dog was trying her best to escape from the danger. Jenna's tongue hung out of her mouth, and some of her saliva barely missed flying into her eyes. The husky was already completely out of breath, but she didn't dare stop, because she didn't know what those strange dogs would do to her if they caught her. If she had only gotten to know the town better, she wouldn't be running through the village, in hopes of stumbling onto her own house. Jenna had already lived in the town for more than a week now, but she still had no idea where she was going. There were just so many streets in Nome.

Jenna could hear the sound of someone breathing, coming from the sled dogs that she knew was right behind her. Their large paws were pounding against the snow, making loud crunching sounds with each step. Jenna fought back tears in her eyes, as she felt the dogs getting closer and closer to her with every step. A warm tear rolled down her face, but turned to ice as soon as it crashed against the powdery white snow on the ground. She hadn't done anything to them, but yet they were still chasing her, and she had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that they would do something worse than hurt her if they managed to catch up to her.

She had asked the lead dog, a black malamute if he knew his way around Nome. At first, the dog had seemed normal and they had had a short conversation about the dangers of sledding. Jenna had found her new neighbor to be very interesting, and had listened to his story very closely. But then his two friends, a gray samoyed and a white husky had started talking about beautiful she looked, which had embarrassed her slightly. And after that, the samoyed had started talking about having some 'fun' with her, which had initially confused her. By the time Jenna had begun to understand what the dogs meant, they had already began lusting her, and making advances towards her. She had tried to resist them, but when they kept coming closer, she had ran for life, desperately screaming for help.

Along the way, she had passed by a large brown husky and a snow goose, the very same pair she had noticed out of the corner of her eye a few minutes earlier, but they had seemed too distracted to help her - they were busy feasting on a pile of meat behind the butcher's shop. Jenna had screamed in the husky's direction, and prayed he had heard her, before she kept running. As Jenna looked back on the past hour, she wished that she had stayed home, warm and safe with her owner, Rosie. But Jenna was an adventurous gal, and had decided to leave her new home, looking for fun and adventure - but all she had found was trouble.

Jenna rounded a corner, hoping to pull into the street where her house was. But to Jenna's horror, instead of her familiar home with the broken fence, all she found was a dead end street - both literally and metaphorically. Jenna quickly ran to a nearby fence, but found it was locked. Desperate, she ran towards the fence as fast she could, hoping to break it down. But the small husky, simply crashed into it, hurting her shoulder, and using up the rest of her energy. Tired and in agonizing pain, Jenna could only watch as the three dogs finally caught up to her.

The black malamute rounded around the corner first, clearly the leader of the group, and he was then followed by his pals, the gray samoyed and the white husky.

Terrified, Jenna dug into the Earth, trying to dig underneath the fence, but she already knew it was hopeless. Her claws weren't nearly sharp enough, and she was already out of time. As a dark shadow cast in front of her, Jenna turned around, and saw that the trio was now only a mere six feet away from her, close enough for her to see the fire in their eyes.

"Nowhere left to run, Jenna?", the black malamute sneered.

Jenna gulped as they advanced closer and closer with each passing second.

"Heh, can we eat her now?", the white husky suggested, with a sinister edge to his voice.

Jenna's mouth fell open when she realized that the evil husky was talking about cannibalizing her. Not even in her worst nightmares had the husky ever imagined something of that magnitude ever happening to her.

"No, let's have some _fun_ with her first", the malamute replied, grinning evilly.

"I want to _take_ her first!", the gray samoyed added, grinning too.

Realizing that the husky meant raping her, Jenna growled, and stood her ground. "Never!", she barked, baring her teeth.

"See, the thing is honey, we weren't really going to ask you for your approval, now were we?", the malamute taunted, causing his two buddies to burst into laughter.

Realizing that trying to fight them would be futile, Jenna simply closed her eyes, and backed herself against a brick wall, while the malamute licked his lips and approached her. "Come on boys, let's mate", he said, his voice triumphant.

**((()-()))**

Across the street from the chase, Balto finally started to slow his run, and stopped running entirely when he found what he was looking for. The rust and cream colored husky, Jenna, running down the street, while being chased by three other dogs, the very same dogs that he had seen her talking to before. Balto had felt there was something wrong about the dogs from the minute he had first saw them, but he had ignored his instincts, and because of that, Jenna was in danger.

Realizing that the dogs were intent on raping her, Balto was suddenly filled with a terrible rage. A flame lit inside his soul, and it started to grow stronger, just like it had the week before. Balto growled, and released Boris from his teeth, dropping the goose onto the ground.

"_They would hurt her? A newcomer? They should be showing her around, showing her hospitality, instead of chasing her!_", Balto snarled, baring his teeth, which now resembled fangs.

Noticing Balto's fit of rage, which was exactly the same as the week before, Boris walked in front of Balto, hoping he could stop the wolf-dog before he started another fight he knew he couldn't win.

"Settle down kiddo, what can you do? There are three of them, and only one of you", Boris reasoned, desperately trying to push backwards on Balto's legs.

"I have to try Boris! Jenna's life depends on it!", Balto replied, through clenched teeth.

"You should get some help first, Balto", Boris reasoned, pleading now.

"There's no time!", Balto shouted, before running past the goose, and after the sled dogs.

Boris sighed, and flapped his wings, before flying after Balto. He knew that no matter what he said or did, nothing could stop Balto from getting involved in the chase.

While Boris flew overhead, Balto tore through the snow, already charting an intercept route. No other dog knew the backstreets, nooks, and crannies better than Balto. Because of his outcast status, he had spent over two years studying the geography and landscape of the town.

After a few more minutes, Balto and Boris rounded a corner, and watched as Jenna bolted down a dark alley.

"No! Don't go that way!", Balto exclaimed, realizing that Jenna was running towards a dead-end.

However, the terrified husky didn't hear him, and just kept on running, with Devil and his gang right on her heels.

"I've gotta get over there, now!", Balto shouted, desperately looking all around him.

"How? The alley is a one way street, and those dogs are blocking the entrance!", Boris reminded Balto, confused by the hybrid words.

"Boris, there's always another way!", Balto replied, before finally finding what he was looking for.

To Boris' amazement, Balto jumped onto a stack of nearby packing crates, and started climbing from crate to crate. The wolf-dog hung onto the edges, using his teeth and claws, as he climbed higher and higher. Never slowing down, Balto leapt off the crates, and onto a nearby roof. Boris had never seen any dog move like him before, not even the most experienced sled dogs like Steele and his team were that flexible.

Balto then leapt from roof to roof, jumping back and forth across the alleyway. Beneath him, the dogs were distracted taunting Jenna, so neither one of them ever noticed the wolf-dog leaping high above them. As Balto jumped on roof after roof, he never seemed to grow tired, his adrenaline rush kept the hybrid pumped up with energy. The roofs were covered with snow, and Balto almost slid off of one, but managed to regain his footing before he was discovered. After getting close enough, Balto eventually stopped at the end of the roof, and peered over the edge.

Balto could see the rust and cream colored husky desperately trying to dig under a fence, but was then backed into a brick wall by her ruthless pursuers. Balto continued to watch as the red husky was taunted by Devil and his gang, before they advanced towards her. For a moment, Balto was frozen with fear, he was terrified for the husky, but all he could do was watch as she tried to defend herself. But then Balto's heart fell out of his chest when the white husky, Wilson, mentioned 'eating her'. Suddenly, Balto's shocked daze was broken, and replaced with an uncontrollable fury. Balto's fur raised on the back of his neck, and he bared his fangs again.

Looking down on the wolf-dog from above, Boris noticed that Balto was rapidly losing control. "Balto, don't even think about it", Boris reasoned.

Balto paused for second, and looked at Boris, who was terrified that he might lose his only son. Balto then looked at the dogs, who were quickly closing in on Jenna - they would attack her at any second. And then, Balto looked directly at Jenna. The red husky was ducking her head, but he could still see the tears streaming down her face. It was then that he knew that he loved the dog, and he could never let anything happen to her. And he especially couldn't let her be attacked by a bunch of rowdy sled dogs.

The wolf-dog looked at the snow goose one last time, but this time, his face was apologetic. "I'm sorry Boris, I am so, so, sorry", Balto said, apologizing for what he knew he had to do.

A tear streamed down Boris' face, but then he nodded, understanding what Balto had to do next.

Balto nodded back, closed his eyes, and then plunged off the edge of the roof. To Balto, he seemed to free-fall through the air for an eternity, but in reality, it was only for a few milliseconds.

The enraged wolf-dog landed on all four of his feet, directly in front of Devil, Wilson, and Cookie, taking the sled dogs by surprise. Balto opened his eyes, and growled at them, baring every single one of his teeth, especially his razor-sharp incisors.

"It's that wolf-dog!", Devil shouted.

"Balto!", Wilson added.

"Get him!", Cookie shouted.

Looking up at the dogs, Balto's eyes glowed in fury, which were now a bright amber. Balto howled in an uncontrollable rage, and charged at the three dogs, prepared to fight to death if it meant saving Jenna.

**((()-()))**

"**_Cab for Amy Pond_**" by Murray Gold begins.

Just as Jenna was bracing herself for the worst the evil sled dogs could do to her, she was shocked by the abrupt sound of someone howling, and then the sounds of a vicious struggle. Confused, Jenna opened her eyes, and gasped when she realized that a fourth dog had joined them. Jenna caught a brief glimpse of the dog before he was caught up in a blur of black, white, and gray. She quickly realized that the dog wasn't a member of Devil's gang, but instead was fighting to save her life.

Wanting to see more of her mysterious rescuer, Jenna stood up and watched as the brown husky attacked Devil, Wilson, and Cookie. The three other dogs were much bigger and stronger than him, but the new dog fought with amazing ferocity. She had never seen anything fight like it before, neither dog or human.

Cookie yelped in pain from the bite wounds all across his body, and started to limp away. To Jenna's horror, she could see that some of the bites wounds had torn his skin away from the bone, and some had even pierced the flesh level. Jenna fought back the sickness in her stomach, as the other dog, Wilson, fell onto his back and rolled against a wall, his white fur now stained by the redness of his own blood.

Wilson and Cookie slowly crawled their way out of the alley, before succumbing to their wounds.

Jenna laughed in amazement as she realized that one lone dog had been able to take down two champion sled dogs in less than a minute. "_Ha! I guess they're not as tough as they thought they were_", Jenna noted, smiling again for the first time since the chase had began.

Ignoring Devil's lackeys, Jenna turned to look at the two remaining dogs left in the fight, Devil and her mystery man. The two dogs were growling and circling each other, both of them waiting for the right opportunity to strike their opponent down. Their back hairs bristled, and Jenna realized that if the brown husky lost, then they would both die that day.

"You're gonna pay for messing with our fun wolf-dog!", Devil snarled, his voice furious.

Jenna's mouth dropped open, and she stared at the dogs in confusion, trying to understand what the malamute had meant. The brown dog only growled in response to Devil's taunts, but his growl was much deeper and more vicious. Jenna blinked, and in that 16th of a second, the two dogs leapt at one another, both aiming at each other's throats.

Devil grabbed onto the shoulder of Jenna's rescuer, and crunched down on it with his jaws. Jenna cringed as she heard the husky scream in agony, and her stomach lurched again when she saw the blood running down from his shoulder. For a few horrifying moments, Jenna thought that her rescuer had lost. But then she saw something amazing.

Despite the immense pain in his shoulder, the brown husky bared his fangs and managed to bite down on Devil's neck as hard as he could. Devil screamed excruciatingly and quickly released the husky's shoulder from his grip. Devil's knees buckled over in pain, and the cunning husky seized the opportunity to bite down on one of Devil's shoulders, further incapacitating the malamute.

"_What a fool to expose such a crucial weakness as the neck, while attacking something as simple as the shoulders_", Jenna observed, watching as the husky quickly gained control over Devil.

Ignoring the pain in his shoulders, the husky got to his feet, and towered over Devil, who was now bleeding onto the snow. "WHEN I GET THROUGH WITH YOU, YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO HURT HER AGAIN!", the husky shouted, in a voice that made Jenna want to cringe. It was a cold and haunting voice. To Jenna, it was one that was not human, it couldn't have been human.

Seeing the rage on the brown husky's face, Devil knew what was coming, but could only muster the strength to speak a few words to the hybrid. "Go ahead and do it half-wolf, I would rather die than face defeat by the hands of freak like you", the malamute whispered.

Jenna immediately knew that Devil meant, and turned to look at the mystery dog. At first, the husky's face looked so furious that Jenna was terrified he was actually considering putting Devil out of his misery. But the husky simply growled, fighting back every one of his instincts that was telling him to finish the job, and looked down at Devil.

"I'm not a murderer like you", the husky simply replied, and Jenna breathed a sigh of relief. The dog then sighed to himself, his voice regretful. "_Go now_", the husky ordered, in a low and hard voice, one without any emotion.

"You may have won this time wolf-dog, but we'll be back, there'll be hell to pay before we're done with you, and that little bitch!", Devil swore, venom in his voice, and pointing directly at Jenna.

"GO NOW!", the husky commanded, growing more and more impatient of Devil's death threats.

The malevolent malamute scowled at the husky, seething from his undignified defeat, but then limped away, finally admitting defeat.

Once Devil was out of sight, the brown husky started panting, completely exhausted from the fight, and turned to face Jenna for the first time since the brawl had begun.

Jenna gasped in surprise as saw the dog's face. Instead of a cold and empty expression like she had expected, Jenna found that the dog was now baring a warm and friendly smile.

"Are you okay?", the dog asked, sounding sincerely concerned about her. Instead of the vicious and callous tone he had had with Devil and his gang a few minutes before, the dog now spoke to Jenna with a soft and gentle voice, one that soothed her frayed nerves.

Jenna blinked, and then shook her head, it was taking the red husky a while to comprehend what had just happened, and what she had just seen. "I'm fine, but… who are you?", she asked, curious.

The mystery dog smiled and walked forward, holding out his right paw. Jenna reluctantly shook it, worried that his friendliness might another trick so he could rape her too. However, the husky seemed sincere.

"I'm Bal… AAHHH!", the dog screamed, before falling over on his side, in excruciating pain.

"Oh my god! You're hurt!", Jenna shouted, shocked. The injured husky had wounds all over his body - on his head, neck, shoulders, arms, legs, chest, back, and some were even on his tail. No dog should have been able to survive an attack of that magnitude.

"Help! Somebody help us!", Jenna screamed urgently.

"Stop! Stop! They'll just me kill me!", the dog shouted, cutting her off.

"Wait, what are you talking about?", Jenna asked, confused.

"They all hate me, if they other dogs find me like this, they'll just use my moment of weakness as a chance to kill me", the dog explained, straining to talk over the pain.

"But why would they do that?", Jenna demanded, confused.

"Because I'm half wolf", the dog replied, his teeth clenched from the pain.

"**_Martha's Theme_**" by Murray Gold begins.

Realizing the full extent of the husky's words, Jenna immediately stepped back from the dog, terrified. She had heard stories about wolves and wolf-dog hybrids when she had been traveling across Alaska with Rosie and her family. Supposedly, wolves were savage beasts that attacked humans, and eagerly killed any stray dogs they could find.

"_But if that's true, then why would he try to save me?_", Jenna thought, confused.

Wanting to know more about the mysterious dog, Jenna cautiously moved forward again, staring directly at the wolf-dog hybrid.

"You'd better just leave me here, I'm gonna die anyway, and if Devil and his gang comes back, then we're both dead", the husky reasoned.

But instead of running away, Jenna walked towards the dog, and sat firmly by his side. "I'm not leaving you", she replied.

"Just go!", the dog insisted, growing impatient.

"You didn't abandon me", Jenna simply answered.

"God, why do you have to be so stubborn?", the dog asked, still clenching his teeth.

Jenna simply shrugged. "Why did you risk your life to save me? I thought wolves don't like to get involved in the affairs of simple dogs like me?", Jenna asked, a slightly teasing edge to her voice.

The husky could tell that she was trying to take his mind off his pain, and since she obviously wasn't going to leave, he decided to answer her question. "I couldn't just stand here and watch them kill you, and you're not simple", the dog replied.

"Who are you?", she asked, amazed.

"It's a long story, and I might not survive long enough to tell you", the dog grunted, as he painfully clutched his torn shoulder.

"Don't be silly", Jenna argued, but deep down, she was still worried - the dog's wounds were pretty severe. Jenna knew that wolves were naturally tougher than dogs, but what she didn't know was how long it would before the wolf-dog succumbed to his injuries. Since taking him to a human doctor was obviously not an option, she starting licking a few of his wounds.

"What are you doing?", the dog asked, curious.

"Cleaning up some of the wounds, we don't need them getting infected", Jenna explained, licking her tongue all across the wolf-dog's body.

The wounds a little stung at first, but after a while they began to feel less painful. And after a few more seconds, he started to love the soothing feeling of Jenna's tongue licking his fur.

"By the way, thanks for saving my life", Jenna added, smiling.

"Hah, you're welcome, after all, you're a pretty brave girl", the dog replied, grinning back.

"What makes you say that?", Jenna asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Standing up to all those dogs, and then staying here with me, lying next to a wolf-dog, I could kill you right now if I wanted to", the wolf-dog said, with a not-so-subtle warning underneath his teasing exterior.

"I'd like to see you try, especially with wounds like these", Jenna replied.

"Balto!", another voice shouted, directly above them.

Jenna looked up to see a white snow goose swoop down, and land next to the half-wolf, tears streaming down his face. "My son, speak to me, keep talking, we'll help you!", the goose pleaded, holding up the dog's head.

"Who are you?", Jenna asked, completely confused.

Though he didn't want to take his eyes off his injured son, the goose glanced at Jenna for a few seconds. "My name is Boris, and this dog is my son, Balto", Boris explained, immediately looking back at the dying wolf-dog.

"How can he be your son?", Jenna asked, her voice skeptical.

"I found him in the woods when he was just a pup, he was an orphan so I took him in", Boris explained, surveying the extent of the dog's wounds.

Jenna looked at the goose in disbelief. Boris' story sounded like something that you would read in Jules Verne or Jack London novel. Still, the goose seemed genuinely concerned about the wolf-dog, so Jenna believed him.

"I almost forgot, my name's Balto by the way", the dog groaned, as Boris help up his leg, looking at the wolf-dog's open flesh wounds for any sign of an infection.

"I'm Jenna, my family just moved here more than a week ago", Jenna explained.

"I know, I saw you arrive", Balto confessed.

"That was you I saw on top of that boat?", Jenna asked, surprised.

"How did you know?", Balto asked, surprised also.

"I thought I had seen someone watching us when we passed by some big washed up boat, but I thought I had just imagined it", Jenna explained. "Why were you spying on us?", she asked, her voice suspicious.

"I'm not a stalker or anything, I just wanted to get to know you", Balto explained, as Boris continued to look at every single one of his wounds.

Balto abruptly shouted again, as Boris had accidentally poked at one of his more painful wounds. At that moment, the wolf-dog wished that his wish to die had come to pass weeks ago, rather than suffer the torment he was facing at that moment. Still, at least he had met the girl of his dreams before he had to leave the Earth. Maybe now, he would reunited with his mother and father in the sky.

Unaware of the hybrid's morbid thoughts, Jenna continued telling her story to Balto and Boris. "Well thanks for the save back there, when I asked those three dogs for directions, they tried to rape me, I have no idea what might have happened if you hadn't saved me", the husky explained, before licking Balto's wounds again, trying her best to help Boris.

"They would have probably eaten you", Boris said, focusing more on the long gash on Balto's neck, which was only a few inches away from his trachea.

"That's what one of them said, something about eating me after they were done having their way with me", Jenna replied, confirming Boris' theory.

Jenna cringed at the recent memory, and Balto fought back another growl. The usually pacifistic wolf-dog had only met Devil and his gang a few minutes ago, and he already hated the dogs a thousand times more than he hated Steele and his posse.

"I've met some pretty nasty sled dogs in my lifetime, and if they see any new dogs in what they consider their territory, they usually just rape the females and kill the males, though sometimes they do both", Boris said, suggestively.

"Yeah, I know, but the eating?", Jenna asked, a disgusted tone in her voice.

Her goose friend simply shrugged in reply. "I'll never understand dogs, no offense boychic", Boris added.

"None taken", Balto muttered, shrugging painfully.

After checking the wolf-dog's wounds for a few more minutes, Boris finally looked up, and shared a worried look with Jenna. "We can't just leave him here all day, if we do, he'll either die from his injuries, or someone else will find him", Boris said.

The red husky immediately understood what Boris meant, if anyone (dog or human), found a wolf in their town, they would kill it on sight, without a second thought.

Boris tried to lift up one of Balto's arms, but the wolf-dog's arms were way too heavy for the goose to lift.

"What are you doing?", Balto asked, turning his head to stare at the goose.

"Balto, I've gotta get you back to the trawler, where you can recuperate safely", Boris explained.

"Boris, it's no use, and I can't walk anywhere, you and Jenna have got to get out of here now", Balto reasoned.

"I'm not leaving you!", Boris and Jenna spoke at the same time.

"I'm not going to let you guys die because of me", Balto insisted, growling.

Jenna quickly turned towards Boris, her voice desperate. "Well Boris, what can we do? What can I do?", Jenna asked, hoping the old goose had an answer.

"I need you to help me move him", Boris replied.

Jenna nodded, and then grabbed the scruff of Balto's neck, slowly dragging him across the ground.

"Just leave me", Balto whispered, though his voice was becoming more and more weak and feeble.

"Oh shut up, will you? We're not just going to leave you here and let you die!", Jenna insisted, her voice firm and decisive.

"We've got to hurry!", Boris shouted, his voice more urgent.

"I'm pulling as hard as I can!", Jenna shot back, exasperated.

Slowly, Boris pushed, and Jenna pulled Balto out of the alleyway, and into Front Street. Slowly, ever so slowly, the unlikely pair dragged the wolf-dog down the street, while attracting the attention of several other dogs.

"Is that the new girl? What the hell is she doing?", one of the dogs whispered.

Jenna and Boris simply ignored them, and pulled harder, wanting to get Balto out of the open before Steele or Blaze could appear.

After another 15 minutes, the trio had finally made it out of Nome, and the old trawler was in full view. But then another challenge presented itself - they would soon have to find a way to get Balto onboard.

"How are we gonna get him up there?", Jenna asked, concerned.

"We'll have to pull him up the ramp!", Boris replied.

"It's impossible", Balto mumbled.

"I'll have none of that quitter talk! Don't waste your energy talking son, you'll need every bit of it just to survive!", Boris ordered.

Balto hesitated, but then nodded his head.

"He's right Boris, he's too heavy! We can barely even pull him, but we'll never be able to slide him up that ramp!", Jenna reasoned, her voice filled with despair.

"Boris Goosinov never gives up!", Boris replied, pulling even harder, the old goose was determined not to see his son die that day.

But just as Jenna was about to argue some more with the old goose, a loud cry broke out over the land, breaking both of their concentration. Balto, Jenna, and Boris' heads all turned around in the direction where the voice had come from.

"UNCLE BORIS!", a voice shouted.

While Jenna was confused about the source of the cries, Balto and Boris recognized the voices immediately. "Oh no, not now", Boris muttered.

"OH, UNCLE BORIS!", the voice repeated, getting closer.

Jenna turned her head, and her mouth fell open in shock as she saw two large polar bears bounding over the nearby hills, running right towards them.

"BALTO, BORIS, POLAR BEARS!", Jenna shouted urgently. But when the husky turned around, she found that Balto and Boris were not at all concerned by the rapidly approaching bears, though Boris did look slightly annoyed.

"Calm down Jenna, they're perfectly harmless", Balto said weakly.

"You're joking, right?", Jenna replied, her voice disbelieving.

"I'm afraid not", Boris said.

The two oncoming polar bears eventually slowed their run, and stopped short a few feet in front of them. But instead of attacking, like Jenna had expected them to, the two bears just grinned widely at them. To the husky's surprise, the shorter bear started talking to them. It was the first time Jenna had ever heard a polar bear talk before, most bears just simply attacked dogs and humans without any warning at all.

"There you are Uncle Boris, we haven't seen you or Balto at the trawler all week. We were starting to worry that something terrible might have happened to you, or to Bal…", Muk rambled, before his voice trailed off at the end.

Both polar bears' eyes locked on the scarred and limpid body that Boris and Jenna were holding in their arms, which they quickly recognized as their best friend, Balto.

"Uncle Boris, what happened to Balto?", Muk asked, his usually joyful voice now flat and empty.

"He got hurt in a fight, trying to save me", Jenna explained, who was still a bit afraid of the polar bears that were towering over her.

"And who are you?", Muk asked, curious, but at the same time, never taking his eyes off Balto's lifeless body.

"She's Jenna, I'm Boris, this is Balto, now just help us get him on the trawler!", Boris ordered, growing more and more impatient.

"Right!", Muk shouted, snapping out of his shocked daze.

Jenna watched as the larger bear, Luk, scooped up Balto's body in his arms, and then started walking in the direction of trawler.

"Hurry up! We have to disinfect his wounds right away!", Boris reminded the bears, causing them to speed up their pace.

"**_Can I Come With You?_**" by Murray Gold begins.

At first, Jenna remained where she was standing, still trying to comprehend the strangeness of what she had just seen. But after a few more seconds, the husky chased after Boris, stopping only a few feet in front of the old snow goose. "Boris, wait!", Jenna shouted.

"What?", Boris asked, growing even more impatient as Balto's condition continued to grow worse.

"This trawler thing that you all live in, can I come with you?", Jenna asked.

"I don't see why not", Boris replied, before brushing past her.

Jenna smiled, and followed the goose towards the trawler, the home of her new best friend.

While climbing up the wooden ramp, Muk and Luk were careful to never let go of Balto, in fear that dropping him would only worsen his condition. But instead of climbing up the ramp with Muk and Luk, Boris chose to fly over them, while Jenna simply followed the polar bears, who seemed to have done this many times before. Somehow, the wolf-dog and his goose father were friends with a pair of talking polar bears, and while the red-headed husky wanted to know more about their unlikely connection, she decided to wait until after Balto wasn't dying to ask Boris about it.

When she finally made it to the top of the ramp, Jenna looked in amazement at the old trawler. A British choir vocalizes, as Jenna saw the trawler for the first time. To most people, it would have just looked like a broken down old boat that had been washed up on the shore, and tilted on it's side, it would have just seemed really dark and depressing. But to Jenna, there was something magical about it, something warm and comforting. She knew now that this old boat was Balto's home, and it had been so for more than two years. The broken down and rusty old tub was practically a place of sanctuary for the tortured pooch.

"Will you come on already Jenna? We don't have all day!", Boris shouted, beckoning for Jenna to follow him.

The husky turned around, and saw that Boris, Muk, and Luk were already going inside the ship's cabin. Jenna quickly followed them inside, and found a bizarre sight. The old cabin looked completely abandoned, all except for a small rug, which she guessed Balto slept on at night.

Muk and Luk barely managed to fit inside the small cabin, but despite their massive size, they were able to gently deposit Balto on his blanket/rug. Balto groaned softly and winced as his sore skin came into contact with the stringy wool rug.

"Jenna, you keep watching him, I'll go get something to treat his wounds", Boris ordered, before flying back outside again.

"Is someone ever gonna tell me what's going on here?", Jenna finally asked, growing impatient herself.

"I'm Muk, and this is my brother Luk, he doesn't say too much", Muk explained, lowering his voice at the end so Luk wouldn't hear him.

"That was our Uncle Boris, and this our best friend, Balto", Muk continued, pointing at the bleeding canine lying in the corner.

"So, just to recap, I've just been saved by a wolf-dog, who has a goose for a father, and two talking polar bears as his best friends?", Jenna asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

Muk and Luk simply nodded in reply.

"I must be dreaming", Jenna muttered.

"Welcome to my world", Balto said, before coughing hoarsely.

"**_Little Amy: The Apple_**", by Murray Gold begins.

A few seconds later, Boris came back, with his wings coupled together, and a pile of snow in-between them. "This should help you Balto, but I'm gotta warn you, it's gonna sting like crazy!", Boris whispered softly.

The goose then took the snow, and spread it across Balto's entire body, including his open wounds. But as soon as the snow hit his still-raw wounds, the wolf-dog screamed at the top of his lungs, writhing in excruciating pain.

"What are you doing? You're hurting him!", Jenna screamed, horrified.

"Trust me, he'll be hurting a lot worse if we don't get these wounds disinfected before they have a chance to spread", Boris explained. The goose continued to spread out the snow, but it was becoming increasingly difficult, because the snow was beginning to melt from the heat generated by the half-wolf's body.

As the snow finally started to take it's effect, Balto's screams of pain slowly subsided, and Jenna breathed a sigh of relief. "How do you know all this?", she asked, curious.

"I'm a fifteen year old goose Jenna, I was there in Russia during the great World War of 1914", Boris explained, turning to look at Jenna. "When I used to migrate with my flock during the winter, I saw soldiers putting freshly fallen snow on their wounds to keep them from getting infected", he continued.

"Oh, that's brilliant!", Jenna exclaimed, surprised by Boris's ingenuity.

"Yeah, well they didn't have access to any hospitals in a war zone, so I guess they had to get creative", Boris mumbled, a little bit embarrassed. The old goose then turned to smile at Jenna. "Thank you for helping me save my son", he said, outstretching his wing.

"It was the least I could do, especially since your son saved me first", Jenna replied, shaking the goose's wing with her paw. "I just wish I could do more for him", she added, before staring down at the husky, a worried expression on her face.

The hybrid was now completely silent, and laid, passed out, on the cabin floor. With no energy left in his body, Balto had finally let his body relax, and fell into a deep sleep.

"He's only got a small fever from the infection, but he should wake up whenever the fever finally breaks", Boris replied, trying to reassure Jenna.

The husky nodded her head in reply, but she was still deeply worried about her new friend. All she and Boris could do now was wait, and pray the wolf-dog would make a full recovery.

**((()-()))**

**_Author's Note_**: 

Another one of the most important chapters in this story, it features a wide variety of orchestral music, from the fast-paced drumbeat of "**_All The Strange, Strange, Creatures_**" (Featured in the Dr. Who episodes, "**_Gridlock_**", "**_42_**", "**_Utopia_**", "**_The Sound of Drums_**") to the smooth jazz feel of "**_Martha's Theme_**" (Featured in the Dr. Who episodes, "**_Smith and Jones_**", "**_The Lazarus Experiment_**", "**_The Last of the Time Lords_**"). This chapter also features "**_A Cab For Amy Pond_**", which introduces the first few hints of "**_The Mad Man With A Box_**", which fully debuts in "**_Salvation, Part 2_**". Finally, this chapter also introduces "**_Can I Come With You?_**", an uplifting choral variation of "**_Little Amy_**".


	6. Chapter 6: La Amore

**_Chapter 6: La Amore_**

**_Nome, Alaska, 12:00 P.M. Monday, December 11th, 1922:_**

Jenna, Boris, Muk, and Luk sat inside the trawler for hours, neither one of them wanting to move a muscle until Balto's fever finally broke.

"Boris, it's been over three hours", Jenna whispered quietly, her voice flat and empty.

"I know", Boris replied, his voice was the same.

In the corner of the cabin, Muk and Luk fought back tears, it was hurting the bears to see their friend continue to suffer, slowly wasting away.

Boris walked over to the sleeping hybrid, and placed his wing on top of Balto's forehead. "I don't understand, his fever has already broken, so why isn't he waking up?", he whispered, terrified.

"Maybe, his wounds were just too severe?", Jenna suggested, fighting back tears of her own.

"We mustn't think like that Jenna, his heart is still beating, so there's still hope", Boris replied, his voice still determined.

Finally, after a few more minutes, the four friends began to see signs of the wolf-dog regaining consciousness. First, Balto's arms and legs began to twitch, and then his eyes flew open, scanning the room. Finally, the husky mustered enough strength to open his mouth, and force out a few words. "Jenna?", Balto whispered.

"Yes?", the red husky asked, relieved to hear that Balto was talking again.

"Thanks for not giving up on me", Balto whispered, still too weak to talk any louder.

"Friends don't abandon friends", Jenna replied, smiling.

"We're friends now? I thought I was just the crazy stalker?", Balto teased lightly.

Jenna laughed, and then sat down next to the wolf-dog. He was by far, the weirdest dog she had ever met, and she loved everything about him.

"Is there anything I can do to repay you?", Balto coughed.

Jenna thought for a moment, reluctant. The wolf-dog had already saved her life, which pretty much made them even, but Jenna felt it was best to patronize Balto in his weakened state, she needed to give him something to keep on living for. "I guess I could always use a guide to show me my way around Nome, so that something like today's incident won't happen again", she suggested.

"Consider it done", Balto said softly, smiling.

"And I could always know more about some of the dogs to avoid in Nome", Jenna added.

"Nah, you wouldn't want my biased opinion", Balto replied, chuckling.

"Hey, I'm not asking you which dogs I should snub or something, I'm just wanna know if any of them have a violent record, like those dogs I saw back in Nome", Jenna replied.

At the mention of the three dogs, Balto's face immediately fell, and a dark shadow cast underneath his eyes.

"Who were they anyway?", Jenna asked, curious.

"Their names are Devil, Wilson, and Cookie, three local sled dogs. You're not the first girl they've attacked Jenna, and you won't be the last", Balto explained, although Jenna noticed that there was a venomous edge to his voice. She could tell that Balto still harbored resentment towards the dogs for their unwarranted attack on both him and her.

Boris turned to look outside of the cabin, and noticed the position of the sun in the sky. "It's getting kind of late Jenna, shouldn't your owners be missing you?", Boris asked, concerned.

"You're right, Rosie and I always share lunch together", Jenna replied. Since the five year old girl was not quite old to go to school yet, and since Kindergarten would not be invented for another sixty years, Rosie spent most of her time at home, playing with Jenna.

Jenna stood up again, but then glanced at Balto, not wanting to leave her new friend in case he relapsed into a fever again.

"I'll be okay, I've been through much worse than this, now go", Balto insisted, though Jenna could tell the wolf-dog was lying.

"I'll be back as soon as I can Balto", Jenna promised.

"Hey, I don't want you sneaking back out here so you can see me, if the other dogs found out you were spending your time with a half-wolf, they'd ostracize you for sure", Balto frowned.

"I'd like to see them stop me from coming", Jenna replied, chuckling.

"Muk, Luk, I want you to make sure that he doesn't die on me while I'm gone", Jenna said, grinning at the polar bears.

"Aye, Aye, Ms. Jenna", Muk replied, before raising up one of his massive paws and saluting her.

Jenna laughed, and then dashed outside. Once on deck, Jenna leapt off the side of the ship, and Boris watched as the husky bolted back into Nome. The snow goose shook his head, and walked back inside the cabin. He ignored Muk and Luk entirely, and Balto could see the furious expression on the goose's face.

"Just get it out of your system Boris", Balto sighed, rolling over.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?", the goose immediately bellowed, causing Muk and Luk to jump backwards in fear.

Balto cringed slightly, since he had never seen his adoptive father so angry at him before.

"I TOLD YOU TO GO GET SOME HELP, BUT INSTEAD, YOU DECIDED TO GO GET ALL 'MACHO-WOLF' ON ME, AND TRY TAKE ON ALL THREE DOGS ALL BY YOURSELF! THEY COULD HAVE KILLED YOU!", Boris continued.

Once the initial shock of Boris screaming wore off, Balto began to feel anger of his own towards the old goose. "IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN TOO LONG TO FIND HELP! AND IF I HADN'T DONE SOMETHING THEN, THEY WOULD HAVE KILLED JENNA! IS THAT WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE WANTED BORIS? FOR ME TO HAVE JUST IDLY STOOD BY AND WATCHED AN INNOCENT GIRL DIE, KNOWING THAT I COULD HAVE SAVED HER?", Balto shouted back, his voice equally as furious.

The snow goose raised his wing to continue arguing with his surrogate son, but then he stopped in his tracks, touched by what the hybrid had just said. "No, that's not what I would have wanted", Boris whispered, his voice low.

"What's done is done, and there's no point in us arguing about it", Balto continued, his voice firm.

Boris then began mumbling what Balto suspected were swear words in Russian, before walking into a nearby corner. "You know Balto, you do some pretty crazy things sometimes", Boris muttered, before turning around again, to face his son. "But this time, I think you did the right thing", Boris smiled, before walking away.

Balto sighed, and lowered his head. His injuries were still pretty sore, but they weren't nearly as bad as they had been three hours ago. It seemed that Boris' disinfecting trick had worked it's magic on the hybrid's skin. His thick fur coat was now matted down by his own dried-up blood, but the wolf-dog didn't dare try to wash it off yet. Balto painfully remembered what cold water had felt like when it had first came into contact with his open wounds, and shuddered.

Balto quickly switched to other, more pleasant, thoughts, thoughts about Jenna of course. He had just met the husky, and when he had thought that he was going to die, he had confessed his most well-kept secret to her, that he was a half-wolf. And yet, this didn't seem to bother her that much. In fact, the rust and cream colored husky had even made a few jokes about this. Her reaction was the complete opposite of what he had expected. Balto hoped that the next time he met up the husky, he would get to know a little bit more about her, and maybe spend some more time with her. Balto knew that gaining someone's else trust always took a long time, especially when the latter was a wolf-dog hybrid. But he knew that they had already both and Jenna had a good first impression on each other, and hoped their next meeting would go just as well.

Balto laid down on his back, the only part of him that didn't hurt, and closed his eyes. Soon, the wolf-dog let the sensation of sleep wash over him again, and he dreamed peaceful thoughts about frolicking in a meadow, with Jenna by his side.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome, Alaska, 7:00 A.M. Tuesday, December 12th, 1922:_**

The next morning, Balto's eyes snapped open. Having his first conscious thoughts in hours, Balto quickly realized that every part of him was still sore. The memories of the previous day quickly flashed inside his head, and he rolled over onto his side. Balto instinctly knew that his adoptive father had to still be somewhere in the cabin, because he could hear the sound of someone pacing back and forth. "Boris, how long have I been asleep?", he asked groggily.

"You've been waking up and falling sleep again for the past 20 hours or so", a soft voice replied.

Balto's head immediately snapped up. The voice that had responded to his question wasn't the familiar Russian voice of his goose father, but instead the softer voice of a familiar rust and cream colored husky.

"_Jenna_", Balto whispered.

"**_Amy's Starless Life_**" by Murray Gold begins.

Jenna stood before Balto, smiling as she saw the wolf-dog was awake for the first time in more than 20 hours.

Balto groaned as he realized the reason why Jenna was inside his trawler again. "Jenna, I already told you not to try to sneak out to see me", he said, as Jenna pushed his water bowl towards him.

"And I seem to remembering telling you that I was gonna come anyway", Jenna replied.

Balto rolled his eyes at the husky, and starting lapping up water from his dog dish.

"I'm afraid, she simply insisted on seeing you boychic", another voice replied, though this one was more familiar.

Balto looked behind him, to see Boris smiling at him. Balto noticed that the goose was chewing on something, and that he was holding a strip of beef jerky in his right wing. "Boris, where did you get that from?", Balto asked, concerned.

Boris tried to respond, but since his mouth was still full, it all came out as just a bunch of gibberish.

"When I stopped by to check on you, I decided to bring some food along too, so you and Boris wouldn't starve to death", Jenna explained, beckoning to a juicy tenderloin lying in the corner.

Balto's mouth fell open, he had been so sleepy that morning, that he hadn't even smelled the steak in the room. "No! No way Jenna! I'm not going to let you get in trouble with your owners for sneaking food out here!", Balto sternly replied.

"Oh relax, it isn't permanent. It's only until you're strong enough to hunt and scavenge for yourself again", Jenna replied, unfazed by the wolf-dog's stubbornness.

"I'm afraid that she's right son, you're not going anywhere with wounds like that", Boris agreed, while finishing the last of his jerky.

Balto wanted to argue with Boris and Jenna, but he knew that he was still too weak to even leave the trawler, for now, going into Nome without being caught by Steele or Blaze was virtually impossible. Balto sighed. "Only until the end of the week", he reluctantly agreed, causing Jenna to smile triumphantly.

"It may be longer than a week kiddo", Boris interrupted, his voice suggestive.

Jenna walked over to a corner, where Boris was now feasting on a bratwurst. "So, where are Muk and Luk today?", the husky asked, curious.

"I suspect they're home with their parents, not that I miss them or anything", Boris replied, his voice sarcastic.

Balto raised his eyebrows at Boris' and Jenna's friendly conversation. Even though Balto had initially suspected that Boris had blamed Jenna for his son's condition the other day, the two seemed to be getting along just fine that morning.

"Anyway, the real reason I came by is to help you learn how to walk again", Jenna said, sitting down next to Balto.

"What do you mean? I can walk", Balto asked, confused.

Jenna raised her eyebrows, as Balto tried to stand up on all four legs. However, the hybrid's knees buckled underneath him and he collapsed on the floor.

"I wouldn't try to rush it all at once Balto, Boris told me that all four of your legs were broken yesterday from the fight", Jenna explained, causing Balto to stare down at his bruised and battered legs. Since he had been lying down since he had woken up, he hadn't even noticed. But sure enough, two of his leg bones were broken.

"My owner Thomas broke his leg once and it took him weeks to recover, of course, it shouldn't take you nearly as long", Jenna said, smiling.

"What do you mean by that?", Balto asked, confused again.

"What with you being half-wolf and all", Jenna reminded him, grinning.

Balto's mouth fell open in shock. The hybrid had completely forgotten that he had told Jenna about his secret, and her knowledge of it took him off guard for a moment. And then, he was reminded of a question he had wanted to ask the husky the day before. "See, what I can't understand is, why doesn't that bother you?", Balto asked, curious.

"Why would it?", she replied, confused.

"I'm a wolf-dog. Dogs are supposed to run from wolves, not make casual conversations with them", Balto answered, raising his eyebrows.

"The way I see it Balto, is that if you wanted to hurt me, or even eat me, you would have done it a long time ago", Jenna countered, raising her own eyebrows this time.

"True", Balto mused, surprised by the husky's courage. "What day is it anyway?", he suddenly asked, his voice curious.

"Tuesday", Jenna replied.

"Well then, I must be cursed", Balto muttered.

"Why do you say that?", Jenna asked.

"The last time I got in a fight was last Monday, so I wonder what'll happen next Monday", Balto explained, depressed.

"Well, don't think of it like that, life is whatever you want it to be Balto, if fact, I bet if you tried hard enough, you could learn how to walk again in just ten days", Jenna said.

"Sure", Balto mumbled, his voice disbelieving.

"I'll prove it to you", Jenna said, standing up.

"What are you doing?", Balto asked, lifting up his head in confusion.

"I am a firm believer that any problem can be fixed with just a little determination, and the right attitude", Jenna said.

Boris slowly put down his bratwurst, and stared at the husky.

"I promise that I will have you up and walking in no more than 10 days, tops", Jenna promised.

Hearing the husky's ludicrous challenge, Boris scoffed skeptically.

"Oh, you're on!", Balto mock growled, grinning.

"Good, then we start tomorrow", Jenna announced.

Balto rolled his eyes, the wolf-dog hybrid could already tell that it was going to be a _long_ week.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome, Alaska, 7:00 A.M. Thursday, December 21st, 1922:_**

Jenna visited Balto many times during the following week, helping him conquer new problems everyday. The two friends started out small, recovering from his broken legs also meant the wolf-dog would have to relearn everything he had been taught as a young wolf. But before he could walk again, Balto had to learn how to crawl across the floor of the trawler, which had caused Boris, Muk, and Luk to burst into laughter, since the grown dog had looked like an infant pup. Also, the human food that Jenna brought him every morning helped to speed up the wolf-dog's metabolism much more than Deli scraps would have, allowing the hybrid's healing process to speed up too.

After a while, Balto was able to stand firmly on all four legs. And a few days after that, Balto was able to bend his knees, allowing him to walk back and forth again. Once his bones were fully mended, Balto and Jenna practiced running again, since it would be impossible to scavenge in Nome if the husky couldn't run away from danger. To Balto's surprise, he found that Jenna could run almost as fast as him, only a few feet behind him every time.

Boris, Muk, and Luk tried to be supportive as best they could, but they soon began to notice that Balto shared a special bond with Jenna, a bond that Boris had seen many times before, back in Russia. However, the snow goose decided to wait for Balto to bring up the subject himself, after all, Boris knew that it was best not to rush these things.

Finally, the process was complete, and in no less than nine days - one day short of Jenna's estimate. Balto dreaded Jenna's next visit, because he knew the husky would surely gloat about her being right.

Still, when Jenna visited the trawler that morning, she seemed to avoid the subject, apparently not wanting rub the metaphorical salt in Balto's wounds. The old proverb reminded Balto of something else important. The flesh wounds from where Devil and his gang bit had him had also slowly mended over the course of ten days. Most of his wounds had already sealed shut entirely, and hard scabs were beginning to appear all across his body. Balto's skin itched like crazy, but he resisted the urge to scratch, knowing it was crucial to keep his wounds from getting infected again. Once he was sure that the wounds were sealed, Balto had washed the dried up blood off his fur, and was surprised to find that the water didn't burn like it had before.

"So Balto, now that you're all better…", Jenna began, grinning.

Balto's ears flattened against his skull, and he groaned mentally. "_Ugh, here it comes_", he thought.

"I'd like to take you up on your offer about that tour tomorrow", Jenna finished, to Balto's surprise.

It took the hybrid a moment to realize that Jenna wasn't about to rub in her victory, and he quickly responded. "Yeah, sure, I'd love to!", Balto replied, though his voice was a bit loud.

Boris rolled his eyes, pretending to ignore his son's obvious crush on the husky.

"You know, tomorrow is my third birthday, and I'd love to spend it with you", Balto explained, and Jenna blushed in response.

Embarrassed, the two friends didn't speak again for another few minutes, until Jenna finally broke the awkward silence. "You know, I'm thinking about stopping by the Old Mill later today, and maybe meeting some new friends", she suggested.

"Oh, well that sounds… fun", Balto replied awkwardly.

"So, what's it like in there?", Jenna asked, curious.

"I wouldn't know, I've only ever seen it from the outside. There's a pile of crates that I sometimes stand on so I can see through one the windows", Balto explained.

"Oh", Jenna said, her voice lowering.

"But I do know this, the music there is amazing", Balto added, sitting up.

"Music?", Jenna asked, confused.

"Yeah, some of the dogs in Nome like sing songs at night, it helps them to pass the time", Balto explained, grinning.

"But dogs can't play human instruments, we don't have fingers, or even thumbs", Jenna argued, her voice disbelieving.

"We dogs play with the tip ends of our claws", Balto explained, holding up one of his massive paws.

Jenna frowned at the wolf-dog, believing that he was just teasing her. "That's not funny", she said flatly.

"It's no joke Jen, but I guess you'll just have to see for yourself", Balto said, shrugging.

"Maybe I will", Jenna said, before pretending to throw her head in the air, and storm off.

Balto laughed one last time before Jenna left the trawler, returning to her home in Nome before Rosie or anyone else would notice that she was gone.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome, Alaska, 12:00 P.M. Thursday, December 21st, 1922:_**

Later that day, Jenna walked into the Old Mill for the first time since she had arrived in Nome, which was now over two weeks ago. The husky had kept mostly to herself since she had arrived, especially since her incident with Devil and his gang. But now, she had worked up enough courage to meet some of the other dogs, even if it meant risking another close encounter.

Inside the mill, she found a large wooden room, filled with red-hot boilers, and surrounded by what seemed like two-dozen dogs, and all of them were trying to keep warm during the winter. However, what really intrigued Jenna was the fact that there were several musical instruments lying in the nearby corner.

"_No way_", Jenna thought, her mouth hanging wide open. Balto had been telling her the truth about dogs being able to play musical instruments. Lying in the corner was a drum set, a guitar, a keyboard, a microphone, and a baseline. "_How is this even possible?_", she whispered. Wanting to make sure she wasn't dreaming, Jenna leaned forward and picked up an acoustic guitar.

"Hey! No offense lady, but don't touch my guitar", an annoyed voice said behind her.

Jenna looked behind her to see a large golden husky with a dark circle around his left eye standing behind her, an annoyed expression on his face.

"Sorry", Jenna quickly apologized, before putting the guitar back where she found it.

The tan husky noticed that Jenna was beginning to blush, and his expression quickly softened into a grin. "Don't feel too embarrassed, people make that mistake all the time", the husky explained.

Nonetheless, Jenna continued to feel nervous around the dog. The normally friendly and quick-to-trust husky was now wary around other sled dogs, especially since what happened with Devil the other week.

"Listen, I'm sorry if I scared you, I'm really not that bad of a guy, the name's Kaltag", the husky said, extending his paw.

Jenna was reluctant at first, but the husky didn't show any sign of aggression or lusting, so she eventually shook his paw back. "My name's Jenna", Jenna replied, beginning to feel more comfortable the dog.

"You're the new girl? I'm so sorry about what happened to you last week", Kaltag said.

"Thanks, I'd probably dead if it wasn't for…", Jenna began, but immediately cut off mid-sentence. She didn't want Kaltag to know about her connection to Balto, according to the wolf-dog, she would be ostracized from Nome if anyone found out the two were friends.

"Don't worry, I doubt Devil or his pals will be giving you any more trouble, from what I heard, they got their tails beat by Balto shortly afterwards", Kaltag said.

At that, Jenna breathed a sigh of relief. So far, no one knew that she had befriended her half-wolf hero. Wanting to switch subjects as quickly as possible, Jenna turned to look at the instruments again. "You said this is your guitar?", she asked.

"Yep, I found it here a couple of years ago. The humans used to use this sawmill a long time ago, but they closed it down, now all it's good for is keeping us warm at night", Kaltag explained.

"One day, we found a couple of instruments in one of the other rooms, we figured that the humans used to use them to keep themselves entertained at night", Kaltag continued. "That's my guitar, there's Nikki's drums, that's Star's keyboard, and there's Dixie and Sylvie's microphones", Kaltag added, pointing to various instruments.

"Who are Dixie and Sylvie?", Jenna asked, it seemed that the husky's explanation had given her even more questions than answers.

"You really are new here, aren't you?", Kaltag chuckled.

"Kaltag! We're almost ready to perform!", a voice shouted from the background.

Jenna bent her neck around to see the voice had come from a small husky, who was wearing a large diamond collar around her neck.

"Coming Dix!", Kaltag shouted back.

The smaller husky nodded, and then disappeared into the crowd of dogs.

"Sorry new girl, I'd love to help you some more, but it'll just have to wait, it's time for me to go onstage", Kaltag promised, before picking up his guitar, and dashing off.

Jenna watched in frustration as her only source of information disappeared into the crowd. Annoyed, Jenna resolved to just sit on a nearby cushion, and wait until she met another dog, who could hopefully pick up where Kaltag had left off.

Suddenly, a soprano voice echoed across the room, amplified by a microphone. Jenna quickly turned to the direction of the voice, and saw that the same girl husky from before was now standing in the center of the room, speaking into a microphone.

"Hello, Nome, Alaska! My name's Dixie and this is Sylvie, as if all you don't already know", she said slyly, pointing to an afghan hound that was standing next to her.

"Are you ready to rock?", Dixie shouted.

The dogs cheered in response, having obviously seen the dog before.

Jenna watched as Kaltag joined her, along with a gray samoyed, and an even smaller husky.

"Okay boys, let's hit it!", Dixie said.

To Jenna's surprised, Kaltag and his band began to play a pop-rock beat.

"**_See You Again_**" by Miley Cyrus begins.

"**_I've got my sights set on you, and I'm ready to aim, I have a heart that will never be tamed_**", Dixie began slowly. "**_I knew that you were someone special, when you spoke my name, now I can't wait to see you again_**", Dixie continued, slowly entering the next verse. Jenna had to admit, the flashy show dog did have a nice singing voice. She had obviously sung before a large crowd before, since she showed no sign of being nervous.

"**_I got a way of knowing, when something is right, I feel like I must have known you, in another life_**", Dixie continued. "**_Another life_**", the afghan hound, Sylvie, sang, joining in. "**_Cause I felt this deep connection, when you looked in my eyes_**", Dixie continued. "**_Now I can't dream_**", Sylvie sang lowly, almost like a whisper. "**_Now I can't wait, to see you again_**", Dixie sang.

To Jenna's surprise, the slow-tempo of the song suddenly exploded into a fast-paced rock beat. "**_The last time I freaked out! I just kept looking down! I s-s-stuttered when you asked what I'm thinking about!_**", Dixie shouted, waving her arms around frantically. Sylvie quickly joined in with Dixie, forming a duet. "**_Felt like I couldn't breathe! You asked what's wrong with me? My best friend Leslie said _**'**_Well she's just being Miley!_**'", Dixie continued.

The gray chow-chow, Nikki, continued to pound on his drums, while Kaltag played his guitar, and the small husky, Star, pressed his paws against his keyboard.

Despite her previous annoyance towards the show dogs, Jenna couldn't help but dance to the song, and soon found herself softly singing along with Dixie.

"**_The next time we hang out, I will redeem myself, my heart can't rest till then, Whoa-Whoa, and now I, I can't wait!_**", Dixie and Sylvie continued. "**_To See You Again_**", Dixie whispered, before entering the next verse. But before she could start singing again, Dixie turned and pointed towards the crowd. To Jenna's horror, she realized that the flamboyant show dog was pointing directly at her. "Hey you!", Dixie said.

"Me?", Jenna asked, feeling embarrassed.

"Yeah, you, new girl. Come on up here, we could always use a third vocal", Dixie insisted.

"I don't know…", Jenna replied, her voice hesitant.

"You'll do fine, now come on", Dixie replied.

Jenna hesitated for a few more seconds, before eventually joining Dixie, Sylvie, and their three-dog band.

"_Okay new girl, Just follow my lead_", Dixie whispered.

"**_I've got this crazy feeling, deep inside, deep inside, when you called and asked to see me, tomorrow night_**", Dixie continued. "**_Tomorrow night_**", Sylvie whispered. Jenna stared at them, confused, and not knowing when she was supposed to join in, since she didn't know the lyrics to the song. "**_I'm not a mind reader, but I'm reading the signs_**", Dixie sang. "**_That you can't dream_**", Sylvie whispered again. "**_That you can't wait, to see me again_**", Dixie continued, beginning the second chorus.

Jenna immediately realized that it was cue her to join in, since it was the only section of the song that she knew.

"**_The last time I freaked out!_**", Dixie shouted. "**_Freaked out!_**", Jenna sang. "**_I just kept looking down!_**", Dixie continued. "**_Looking down!_**", Sylvie sang. "**_I s-s-stuttered when you asked me asked me what I'm thinking about!_**", Dixie continued. "**_Felt like I couldn't breathe! Couldn't breathe! You asked what's wrong with me? What's wrong with me? My best friend Leslie said, _**'**_Well she's just being Miley!_**'", Dixie, Sylvie, and Jenna sang together as an all female chorus. "**_The next time we hang out!_**", Jenna sang. "**_I will redeem myself!_**", Sylvie continued. "**_My heart can't rest till then, Whoa-Whoa!_**", Dixie continued. "**_Now I, I can't wait, to see you again!_**", Dixie sung, hanging on the last note.

As the tempo of the song slowed, the three dogs locked arms, and began marching around the Old Mill. "**_I've got my sights set on you, and I'm ready to aim_**", Dixie whispered. "Let me hear you!", the show dog shouted, her voice echoing across the small room.

"**_The last time I freaked out! Freaked Out! I just kept looking down! Looking Down! I s-s-stuttered when you asked me what I'm thinking about!_**", Dixie shouted, with the entire crowd joining in. Nikki pounded on his drums twice, before the rock beat resumed.

"**_Felt like I couldn't breathe! Couldn't Breathe! You asked what's wrong with me? What's Wrong With Me? My best friend Leslie said _**'**_Well she's just being Miley!_**'", Dixie, Sylvie, and Jenna sung. "**_The next time we hang out!_**", Jenna sang, smiling for the first time since the song began. "**_I will redeem myself!_**", Sylvie continued. "**_My heart can't rest till then! Whoa-Whoa!_**", Dixie shouted, shaking her head. "**_Now I, I can't wait, to see you again, to see you again, to see you again, Whoa-Whoa, now I, I can't wait_**", Dixie, Sylvie, Jenna, and the crowd sang. "**_To See You Again_**", Dixie whispered, in the same way that the song had began.

As the slow song drew to a close, Dixie, Sylvie, and Jenna all struck poses, earning them all a standing ovation from their canine audience.

"Whoo!", Dixie shouted, before turning towards Jenna. "You're an even better singer than I thought, so what's your name?", she asked, curious.

"Jenna, and I'm assuming that your name is Dixie?", Jenna asked.

"Mmm-hmm, and this is my best gal pal, Sylvie", Dixie replied, pointing towards the afghan hound standing next to her. "If you're interested in latest news or gossip, Sylvie's your gal", Dixie continued.

"Stop it Dix, you're embarrassing me", Sylvie said, blushing.

Both dogs spoke with Brooklyn accents, which Jenna immediately realized was strange for a small Alaskan town. "I don't mean to pry or anything, but where do you guys come from?", Jenna asked, curious.

"Nah, you're not prying, me and Sylvie both come from Brooklyn, New York. Our masters moved here a few years ago, God knows why", Dixie explained, rolling her eyes.

"Dixie and I are both show dogs, we've won numerous dog shows both here, and all across the countryside", Sylvie said, pointing to the diamond collars hanging around both their necks.

"Wow, impressive", Jenna replied, feeling a little bit awkward around such prestigious dogs.

"Still bragging about those collars Sylvie?", a voice asked, chuckling.

Jenna immediately whirled around, to see that Kaltag was now standing behind them, his guitar still strapped around his neck.

"Hey, like I always say, life is short, so you should enjoy everyone of life's little pleasures", Dixie replied, while blatantly flaunting her exquisite diamond collar.

Kaltag rolled his eyes, and placed his guitar back up against a nearby wall.

"So Jenna, this dumb jock that you see before you is Kaltag, he's one of Gunnar's dogs from Troop 51", Sylvie said sarcastically, pointing to the large collar around Kaltag's neck. Sure enough, around the husky's neck, was a large red collar that read, "_Kaltag, property of Mr. Gunnar Kaasen_".

"Mr. Kaasen?", Jenna asked, confused.

"Yep, all the other sled dogs have their own separate homes, but I live with our musher, good old Gunnar", Kaltag explained, smiling.

"Dragging a heavy sled across some frozen desert for hundreds of miles, sure sounds exciting to me", Dixie grumbled sarcastically.

"Hey, you show dogs can keep your frilly little dogs shows, I'll take a sled and a harness any old day", Kaltag replied, grinning now.

Behind him, the smaller husky and the chow-chow cleared their throats, clearly annoyed.

"Oh, right, sorry guys", Kaltag apologized sheepishly. "These are my two buddies, Nikki, and Star", Kaltag introduced.

"You play beautifully", Jenna complimented, shaking each of the dogs' paws.

"When we're not working for Steele, we help Dixie and Sylvie with their act, it was actually Star's idea", Nikki said, frowning at Star.

Jenna raised her eyebrows, and looked at the nervous husky. Jenna suspected that the only reason Star was helping Dixie, was because he secretly had a crush on the show dog, but she couldn't know for sure, she had only just met the husky.

"So Jenna, are you feeling okay?", Dixie asked suddenly, taking Jenna by surprise.

"Yeah, why do you ask?", Jenna replied, confused.

"We're just want to make sure you're okay, we heard all about how Devil and his band of goons almost raped you two weeks ago, the whole town is talking about it", Sylvie explained.

Jenna immediately stepped back, out of both embarrassment and pain from the memory.

Realizing that she had hurt the feelings of her new gal pal, Dixie immediately tried to comfort the husky. "Let me tell you something Jen, it's not easy living in a town where there are more guys than there are girls, incidents like yours are bound to happen eventually, I'm just sad it happened to such a nice girl like you", Dixie said.

Jenna nodded her head, but her embarrassment over the ordeal still lingered inside her.

"Don't worry Jen, I'm sure Doc is handling them", Sylvie explained.

"Doc?", Jenna asked, confused.

"I forgot, you just moved here", Dixie said, slapping her forehead with her paw.

"Doc is what some might call the leader of this here town", Nikki explained.

"He decides the punishment for dogs who have committed horrible crimes, such as murder and rape", Star added.

"After what happened to you, Doc seriously chewed Devil and his gang out. He was gonna banish them all from Nome, except they had already found a new home somewhere else", Kaltag explained.

"A new home?", Jenna asked, confused.

"Yeah, turns out their owner had already sold them to someone else in town, and they're leaving town after Christmas Day, so Doc decided to let them stay in Nome until then", Dixie explained, though her voice was wary.

"Why would they be sold?", Jenna asked.

"I don't know, nobody does, from what I heard, it's some big secret that their owner doesn't want anyone to know", Dixie replied, shrugging.

Jenna pondered this new information for a few minutes. Devil, Wilson, and Cookie had already been sold and would be leaving Nome in less than five days, and then Jenna would never have to see the despicable dogs ever again. As much as she wanted to be comforted by these words, Jenna also knew that she was still in grave danger. Devil and his gang were still somewhere in Nome, and Balto wouldn't always be around to protect her in she got into trouble again. Jenna would have to be extra careful in the days that followed. "Well, I guess I'd better be going", she suddenly said, before getting to her feet.

"But you just got here. Can't you stay a little bit longer? Maybe do another number?", Dixie asked, whining.

"Sorry, but Rosie will probably be missing me", Jenna lied. The husky felt uncomfortable in the Old Mill, surrounded by dozens of dogs she didn't know, and wanted to quickly get back to the safety and familiarity of her home.

"Well, stop by again soon!", Sylvie shouted after her.

"Don't worry, I will!", Jenna shouted back, as she made her way through the crowd, and towards the exit.

Jenna quickly excused herself as she brushed past multiple dogs, desperately trying to reach the doors. Finally, just as she was only a few feet away, the doors to the Old Mill abruptly swung open, narrowly missing hitting her face. Jenna quickly jumped out of the way, and landed on her back on the hard, wooden floor. As she looked up, a large black and white malamute stepped through the Old Mill's front doors, and Jenna's heart dropped out her chest when she realized that the dog was Devil, coming back to finish what he had started.


	7. Chapter 7: The Tour

**_Chapter 7: The Tour_**

**_Nome, Alaska, 12:30 P.M. Thursday, December 21st, 1922:_**

Jenna stared at him for a few more seconds, before she realized that the dog she was looking at wasn't Devil at all, but instead another black and white malamute of the same size and shape as him. However, the sled dog did seem angry with her for some reason.

"Hey, watch where you going!", the malamute shouted, before his face softened when he realized that he was talking to was a female. "Oh, sorry, I'm didn't you see there", the dog quickly apologized, before reaching out his paw for Jenna to grab onto.

Jenna reluctantly grabbed onto his paw, and the dog pulled her back up from the ground. The anger and aggression he had shown before seemed to have completely disappeared from the dog's face, and was now replaced by a wide smile. But for some reason, Jenna was still nervous around the canine, and wanted to get away from him as soon as she could. There was a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, some long forgotten instinct that was telling her to run, to get as far away from the dog as fast as she could. Underneath the dog's false smile, Jenna could sense there was something cunning and evil about the malamute. But instead of running away, Jenna just stood there, holding the dog's paws. "Who are you?", she finally asked, nervous.

"The name's Steele, leader of sled dog team 51", the malamute explained, proudly puffing out his chest.

"_Kaltag's team_", Jenna thought, realization washing over her.

After another dog walked past them, Jenna finally remembered where they were standing, in front of the front doors of the Old Mill. "Sorry Steele, I'd love to talk some more, but I'm kinda in a hurry", Jenna awkwardly explained, running past the malamute.

As she was leaving, Jenna had the distinct feeling that Steele was staring at her backside, and turned to look behind her again. But Steele was now gone, seemingly disappearing in less than a second. Despite the fact that she was still in a hurry to get home, Jenna wanted to know more about the mysterious sled dog. Suddenly, she remembered something important that she and Balto had discussed earlier that morning, when she had stopped by the trawler.

"_So, what's it like in there?", Jenna had asked, curious. _

_"I wouldn't know, I've only ever seen it from the outside, there's a pile of crates that I sometimes stand on so I can see through one of the windows", Balto had explained_.

Jenna looked all around her, and saw that there was indeed a stack of crates on the side of the Old Mill, which stood right in front of a nearby window. Jenna quickly climbed up the crates, and peered through the frosty window. Inside the Old Mill, she could see that the malamute was now talking to his subsequent teammates, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star. Even though she was outside, Jenna could still hear Steele perfectly, because he was obviously shouting about something.

"Have you seen him yet?", Steele growled.

"Sorry boss, but the little runt hasn't even been seen around town for more than 10 days", Nikki replied, though there was a nervous edge to his voice, as if he was scared of his own lead dog.

"YOU FUCKING IDIOTS! I've waited three weeks to give that little freak what's coming to him! Are you telling me that that he's still out there, hiding somewhere?", Steele screamed, growing more and more impatient. Steele's violent outburst quickly drew the attention of everyone in the Old Mill, but the malamute simply ignored the stares of his fellow dogs, focusing more on his terrified teammates.

"We're trying our best to find him boss, but it's like he disappeared off the face of the Earth or something", Star desperately explained. But instead of replying, the pissed-off malamute simply growled at the smaller husky, baring his teeth at him. Star immediately stepped backwards, and cowered behind Kaltag, fearing for his life.

Jenna was shocked at seeing the darker side of the Steele, and was glad that she had gotten away from the dog when she did.

"At least tell me that you've found Devil", Steele growled.

"We have, but you heard what Doc said, they're already leaving town in a few days. If we attack them first than it'll be considered assault, and _we'll_ banished boss", Kaltag explained, praying that the enraged malamute would listen to some kind reason.

Steele snarled, but then sighed. He knew that Kaltag's words were truth. The true nature of the malamute was that beneath all his charm, arrogance and lady-killing machismo, he _was_ a coward, just like Balto had said. Steele always attacked people in secret, and only when there was a large crowd of dogs with him to back him up. And the malamute was not willing to risk any retaliation from Doc or his underling Jared. As much as he despised Devil for almost killing the woman of his affections, he also hated Doc, and didn't want to give the old geezer any kind of reason for banishing him.

"I'm not going to take this kind of thing lying down guys, Devil _will_ pay for almost hurting my girl!", Steele muttered, his voice was calmer now, but Jenna could tell he was still angry.

"_Wait, my girl? Is he talking about me?_", Jenna thought, alarmed.

Oblivious that his dream girl was listening in, Steele and his cronies continued their not-so-secret conversation. "And he will pay boss, but we'll just have to find a way to do it discreet-like, like we always do", Nikki said, sitting down on a nearby cushion.

"_First Balto, and now Devil, since when did enforcing justice around here become so difficult?_", Steele thought bitterly, lying down on another cushion.

While Steele was still fuming, Dixie and Sylvie walked towards him, to Jenna's shock. The husky's mouth fell open, and Jenna pressed her face even closer to the window. "_Didn't they just see his psychotic freak-out?_", she thought, confused as to why any dog would come anywhere near Steele after his public meltdown.

"So, how did the last race go Steele?", Dixie asked, a flirtatious edge to her voice.

"It was okay, we beat our competitor's tails into the ice", Steele grunted, starting to chew on a large T-bone.

Jenna watched from a distance as Dixie sat down next to the malamute, and realized that the Brooklyn show dog was flirting with him, or at least she was trying to. "_Is she completely out of her mind?_", Jenna thought frantically, fearful for her new friend.

As Steele continued to gnaw on his steak bone, Dixie slowly moved closer, until she was practically lying on top of the malamute's chest. However, Steele either didn't notice her, or simply chose to ignore her, much to Jenna's relief. So far, the malamute didn't seem to very aggressive towards female dogs like her and Dixie, only the males.

"Dixie?", Steele finally asked, his voice curious.

"Yeah?", Dixie asked, delighted the malamute had finally noticed her.

"Have you seen Balto anywhere around here? I haven't seen him in weeks", Steele asked, raising his eyebrows.

Hearing his question through the glass, Jenna's heart fell right out of her chest.

"The stray? He hasn't been seen in Nome in over 10 days, not since Jenna's fight with Devil anyway", Dixie confusedly replied.

"Hmm", Steele mused, before swallowing his bone.

Jenna remembered Steele's words, about finding someone else besides Devil, and beating him to a pulp. She also remembered Balto's words from the week before.

_"Stop! Stop! They'll just me kill me!", Balto had shouted, cutting off Jenna's frantic cries for help. _

_"Wait, what are you talking about?", Jenna had asked, confused. _

_"They all hate me, if the other dogs find me like this, they'll just use my moment of weakness as a chance to kill me", Balto had explained, straining to talk over the pain from his injuries. _

_"Why would they do that?", Jenna had asked, confused. _

_"Because I'm half wolf", Balto had replied, his teeth clenched from the pain blazing all over his body._

Jenna hadn't given Balto's words much thought since then, but she now realized what the wolf-dog hybrid had meant, that his life was in danger every time he went into Nome, because of Steele and dogs just like him. "_Why? Why would he want to hurt Balto? He's never hurt anyone? Or at least I hope he hasn't_", Jenna thought, deeply worried.

She had only just met the wolf-dog and she already trusted him with her life. Perhaps she hadn't changed at all since her close encounter with Devil, she was still too quick to trust total strangers. The wolf-dog had seemed like a nice person, but then again, so had Devil, Wilson, and Cookie at first. She had let the dogs get close to her in a matter of minutes, but they had just been biding their time, waiting for the right moment to strike and seize what they wanted. "_What if Balto is just doing the same thing?_", Jenna thought, horrified.

As Jenna pondered her recent decisions, Steele stretched his arms and legs, and yawned, causing Dixie to abruptly slide off his chest. The smaller dog yelped in surprise as she landed on the floor, and Steele rolled over onto his side, ignoring her again. Steele had had a long day, and a nice nap would rest his brain, allowing him to think of ways to torture Balto the next time he found him.

As Nikki, Kaltag, and Star settled down on their own cushions, Jenna realized that she wasn't going to hear anything else of interest, and slowly stepped away from the window. The husky was deep in thought as she walked down the street, towards her familiar home with the broken fence. Things had all seemed so clear to her that morning in the trawler, and now she didn't know what to believe anymore, or who to trust. All she knew was this, whether it came from Balto, or Steele, or even Devil, her life was in grave danger everyday now. Jenna would have to find a way to fix the mess that she had gotten herself into, before it was too late for her and new human family. The husky wouldn't let anyone else be put in danger because of her.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome, Alaska, 9:00 A.M. Friday, December 22nd, 1922:_**

The next day, Balto found himself walking down Front Street again, for the first time in over 11 days. Balto hated being out in the open like this, but he felt the need to keep a promise he made to a very special friend, even if it meant risking another encounter with Steele or Devil. Today was Balto's birthday, but it was also the day he had promised Jenna that he would show her the town. Balto's injuries were still a bit sore, so he had to put a little more effort into walking than usual. Since he was going to be spending at least a few hours with Jenna today, the last thing Balto needed was to smell like dirt and twigs when he was walking besides her. As a precaution, the wolf-dog had taken an extra-long bath in a river that morning, trying to make the experience as pleasant for the husky as possible.

It didn't take long for Balto to find what he was looking for, Jenna's house. The hybrid noticed that, despite Evelyn's complaining words about the house when she had arrived in Nome two weeks ago, the Jones' surrounding fence was still broken. The lock on the gate was also still broken, which basically allowed anyone to come in. Balto raised one of his paws, and quietly pushed the gate open, not wanting to alert any of the humans inside the nearby house. On the other side of the fence was a small yard, which lead to the front door. Balto quickly looked around the yard, and found what he was looking for - a small wood pile. Balto ducked behind the wood pile, and waited patiently.

He and Jenna had agreed on a specific hour, 9:00 A.M, and the clock tower in the center of Nome confirmed that it was now 9:00 A.M. But when the hands on the clock moved to five minutes past nine, and there was still no sign of Jenna, Balto began to worry about the husky. His mind began to reel as he thought of the thousand different reasons why Jenna could have been being late. The best case scenario was that she had simply changed her mind, and decided not to risk it. But the worst case scenario, was that Jenna had met up with Devil and his gang again, and had been brutally murdered as retaliation against Balto. As Balto was about to start hyperventilating at the thought of Jenna's death, the hybrid heard a flapping sound, which he instinctly recognized as the sound of a dog door opening. Someone was leaving the house, and it was definitely a dog. Balto sniffed the air and immediately knew that it was Jenna, breathing a sigh of relief.

As Jenna stepped through the dog door, and into the yard, she still felt a little uneasy. Despite what she had tried to tell herself, she knew that Balto still considered this tour to be a date, and that made her worry. The fact that Balto had enemies had unsettled her the day before, but she was even more worried now that Balto was messing with her mind, trying to get close to her so he could get what he wanted. As much as Jenna wanted to believe this wasn't true, there was only way to know for sure - spend more time with the wolf-dog.

Now that she was outside, Jenna immediately picked up a familiar scent, she had memorized it during the 10 days she had spent visiting the trawler. "You can come out now Balto, it's only me", she spoke up, knowing that the wolf-dog had to be hiding somewhere in the surrounding yard.

Hearing the sound of her voice, Balto quickly stepped out from behind the wood pile. "Sorry Jenna, I had to make sure it was you", the wolf-dog explained.

Jenna nodded her head, and reluctantly joined the hybrid. Balto seemed different from the last time she had seen him. He had obviously washed his fur, and seemed to be almost completely recovered from his fight with Devil. The wounds on his body had not only sealed shut, but thick scabs were already forming around them. Soon, there would be no trace at all of the fight ever happening, except for a few thin scars hidden beneath his fur.

"So, how are you doing?", Balto asked awkwardly, still feeling nervous around his not-so-secret crush.

"I'm doing fine", Jenna replied, feeling just as awkward as Balto.

"Sorry I was so late, Rosie was having trouble going down the stairs", Jenna explained, chuckling at the memory.

Balto laughed too. In two weeks, he still barely knew anything about the husky, but he could tell that she cared deeply for her human girl, Rosie. "You're not too late, it's only 9:30", Balto replied, pointing to the clock tower on the other side of Nome.

"So, let's get this date over with already", Jenna teased lightly, feeling a little bit more relaxed in Balto's company.

"Wait, the what?", Balto asked, shocked.

"I was just joking, this is only a tour, remember?", Jenna said, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, sure, just a tour", Balto said sheepishly, fighting back the urge to blush.

Jenna rolled her eyes. How could she ever think that _Balto_ was planning to murder her? Instead of the heartless and scheming killer she had imagined him to be, all she saw now was her charming and playful best friend, the man who she had fallen in love with. When Jenna had first moved to Nome, Alaska, all had she expected was a small little town with a few other dogs in it, and maybe even a good view of the Northern Lights. But the husky had never even imagined that she would find love, or that the love she found would be directed towards a wolf-dog hybrid.

After another awkward moment of silence, Balto walked over towards the gate, and pushed it open with his paws. "Well, come on then", Balto smiled, outstretching his paws towards the gate.

"Ladies first", Balto said suavely, wagging his eyebrows.

"Ooh, a gentleman", Jenna teased back, before stepping past him.

Despite the awkwardness that he had felt only a few minutes ago, Balto could already tell that it was going to be a great day. When Balto turned his head however, he saw that Jenna had already left him behind, and was now walking down Front Street. "Hey Jen! You can't start a tour without your tour guide!", Balto shouted, frantically chasing after the husky.

Pretending not to hear him, Jenna just ignored the wolf-dog, and kept on walking.

"Jenna!", Balto continued, annoyed.

"**_Boyfriend_**" by Big Time Rush & Snoop Dogg begins.

**((()-()))**

Across town, inside the Old Mill, four dogs were lazily lying next to a boiler, trying to catch some sleep. Steele, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star had just finished another all-nighter, and were completely exhausted. Their musher, Gunnar Kaasen, had decided that the team needed more practice running at night, so they had spent the entire night running through the woods. However, the sled dogs were finding any chance of getting some well-earned sleep was impossible, since that annoying canine band playing only a few feet away from them. "_Damn foreigners, why didn't Jared and his band of losers just stay in Canada where they belonged?_", Steele thought, annoyed.

Across the room, the familiar Newfoundland Jared, and his three friends, Rocky, Jimmy, and Mac, were playing an upbeat pop-rock song. Nikki, Kaltag, and Star were unfortunately not the only boy-band in Nome, after Jared and his friends had moved Nome the year before, they created their own band. The Canadian dogs were actually pretty good singers, and Steele would have normally liked the song, if it wasn't interrupting his mid-day nap.

"**_Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boy_**", the band began.

"**_Have you ever had the feeling you're drawn to someone? Yeah, And there isn't anything they could have said or done? Said or Done?_**", Jared began.

"_Please, you're practically preaching to the choir_", Steele thought bitterly.

"**_And everyday I see you on your own, and I can't believe that you're alone, But I overheard your girls and this is what they said_**", Mac continued, taking over from Jared.

To Steele's annoyance, the song got even louder as the band entered the chorus section.

"**_That you're looking for a boyfriend, I see that, Give me time, you know I'm gonna be that, Don't be scared to come put your trust in me, Can't you see all I really want to be, Is your boyfriend, Can't fight that, Let me down you know I'm coming right back, I don't care at all what you done before, All I really want is to be your_**", Jared, Rocky, Jim, and Mac sang, forming a quartet.

"**_Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend!_**", Jared and his band rapped, their voices echoing across the Old Mill.

Steele groaned to himself, all their annoying song did was remind him of how close he had came to meeting Jenna the other day, only to let her slip through his (hypothetical) fingers. Oblivious to Steele's rapidly depleting patience, Jared and his band continued onto the third verse.

"**_Let me take a little moment to find the right words_**", Jared sang. "**_To find the right words_**", Jimmy vocalized.

"**_So when I kick it you it ain't something that you've heard_**", Rocky sang. "**_Something that you've heard_**", Mac vocalized.

"**_I don't know what kind of guy that you prefer, but I know I gotta put myself for worst_**", Jared sang.

"**_See I think got the kind of love that you deserve, and I heard that, that, that_**", Rocky sang.

As the chorus section began again, an aggravated Steele briefly considered walking over to Jared and punching the dog in the face, but decided against it. "_Ugh, there's too many witnesses_", Steele thought, unable to do anything except listen to the second chorus section.

"**_That you're looking for a boyfriend, I see that, Give me time, you know I'm gonna be that, Don't be scared to come put your trust in me, Can't you see all I really want to be, Is your boyfriend, Can't fight that, Let me down you know I'm coming right back, I don't care at all what you done before, All I really want is to be your!_**", Jared, Rocky, Jim, and Mac continued, their voices trailing off at the end.

"**_If you tell me where, I'm waiting here, Everyday like Slum-Dog Millionaire, Bigger than the Twilight love affair, I'll be here, Girl I swear!_**", the quartet continued, before the song resumed it's fast rock beat.

"**_Looking for a, looking for a, that your looking for a boyfriend, Hey! I see that, Give me time, you know I'm gonna be that, Be That! Don't be scared to come put your trust in me, Can't you see all I really want to be, Is your boyfriend! Hey! Can't fight that, fight that, Let me down you know I'm coming right back, Right Back! I don't care at all what you done before, All I really want is to be your! Be Your! Be Your! By Your!_**", the band continued.

"**_Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, Your Boyfriend, Your Boyfriend! Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, Your boyfriend, Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, All I really want is to be your, Your boyfriend!_**", Jared, Jimmy, Mac, and Rocky continued.

"You know, this song really isn't that bad", Star exclaimed, shaking his head to beat.

Steele growled and lifted up one of his paws, before he was abruptly stopped by Kaltag. "No boss, let me", Kaltag insisted, raising up his own right paw. The tan husky then hit Star across the head as hard as he could, instantly knocking him out cold.

Steele sighed, and placed his head in-between his paws. He knew that it wasn't really Jared or Star he was mad at, he was mad at himself. Steele hadn't been there to save Jenna when Devil and his thugs had been after her. If Steele been the one who saved her, she would have been putty in his paws, but instead, the husky wanted nothing to do with him. "_She probably thinks she's too good for me_", Steele thought, growling again.

Steele hated being rejected. All his life, the malamute had tried to be the best of the best, climbing his way to the top of the metaphorical ladder, no matter what got in his way, or who he had to sacrifice. Steele knew that he had to convince Jenna to be his. He didn't really care about the husky herself, but he was going to go crazy if he didn't get her attention soon. Steele knew that it was both stupid and shallow to let her rejection get to him, but he had already been denied his revenge against both Balto and Devil, and he didn't know if he could handle another setback so soon. At that, Steele resolved that he would set out, and search all of Nome until he found Jenna again. And once he found her, he would wine and dine her until the husky fell for him.

Behind him, Jared and his band began the final verse. "**_Be your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, Ooh, Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, All I really want is to be your, Be Your, Be Your, Be Your, Be Your, Be Your, Be Your, Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, Hey! Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend, All I really want is to be your!_**", Jared and his band finished, and all the dogs in the Old Mill burst into applause, all except for Steele.

Awakened by the sound of the all the dogs cheering, Star slowly stirred. "Ah, what hit me?", Star mumbled, dizzily. But before anyone could reply, Kaltag lifted up his paw, and knocked Star unconscious again. The annoyed husky had done it simply because he didn't want to hear Star complaining about how he had hit him again.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome, Alaska, 10:00 A.M. Friday, December 22nd, 1922:_**

Shortly after Balto had caught up with Jenna, the tour finally began, and the two started looking at different landmarks in Nome, starting with Nome's central building.

"So Jenna, we're starting here. This is City Hall, it's been a part of Nome since the town was founded in 1899", Balto explained, pointing one of his massive paws towards the west. The capitol building resided on the Western side of Nome, and seemed to tower over the rest of the town. However, the City Hall's massive size was not the only thing that made it look different than the other buildings of Nome.

"I don't believe it, it's made out of marble", Jenna whispered, shocked. Instead of being wooden like most of the other buildings in town, Nome's City Hall was made entirely out of marble from it's circular dome to the stone steps.

"Yep, the marble was shipped in from parts of the United States, and parts of Canada", Balto explained, pointing to separate parts of the building.

"Do you think we'll ever become a state Balto?", Jenna asked, staring at the city capitol.

"Maybe someday Jen, after all, anything's possible", Balto replied. Alaska had been trying to become an official state for decades, but so far, it was nothing more than a neutral country that the United States often used as a dump site during the world wars.

"Like a husky being friends with a wolf?", Jenna asked, curious.

Balto didn't reply, but instead lowered his head in shame. By now, Balto even hated the word '_wolf_', all it did was remind him of who he was, and who he could never be. Finally, the wolf-dog spoke up. "Come on Jen, let's keep going", he said, his voice low, and avoiding Jenna's question.

The rust and cream husky had wanted to press Balto more on the subject, but decided against it. She had known the hybrid for only a few weeks now, but she could already tell that he hated everything about himself, and people who hated themselves were often self-destructive. Jenna knew by now that Balto wasn't a murderer, but she wondered if such a self-loathing person would ever be capable of love, or if she was fooling herself in believing that Balto loved her.

After a few more minutes, Balto stopped in front of another building, but this one looked strangely familiar to Jenna. She had seen both Balto and Boris standing in front of the building when she had been running from Devil and his gang, almost two weeks ago.

"This is the butcher's shop, it's owned by James Avery, and in my opinion, is the best source of meat in town", Balto continued, his voice lighter now.

"From what _I've_ heard, it's the only source of meat in town", Jenna said, raising her eyebrows.

"That's what makes it the best", Balto replied, grinning.

"Ha ha, that's very funny", Jenna replied sarcastically.

"This is where I come to scavenge everyday", Balto said softly, looking at the alleyway next to the butcher's shop.

Jenna followed his gaze, and as she looked at the dark alleyway, she let her mind reel. The purebred husky could barely even imagine what it was like being an outcast like Balto. "_Having to sneak into human towns and try to steal food without being seen, just so you can survive another miserable day_", Jenna thought.

While Jenna was glad that she wasn't in Balto's position, she also felt bad for the hybrid. "_He's forced to live a life that no one should ever have to suffer through, just because of what he is, it's not fair_", Jenna thought sadly. She turned her head, and looked back at Balto again. The wolf-dog seemed to be in a better mood, but he also seemed distracted, thinking of something else.

"_No wonder he doesn't want me to get close to him, it's not because he's afraid he might hurt me, he's afraid that he might ruin my life like how the other dogs have ruined his_", Jenna thought. Her heart ached for her new friend, and she wished there was something she could do to help him. But she knew that there was nothing she could do to change the wolf-dog's biology or even how the other dogs saw him.

Unaware of Jenna's depressed thoughts, Balto's head suddenly snapped up, and she saw the hybrid was grinning again. "Well, come on, we'd better get going, there's a whole lot more to see", Balto said cheerfully, before walking further down the street.

Jenna sighed one last time, and turned to follow her best friend, wishing that she felt as happy as he did.

"So, did you meet any new friends yesterday?", Balto asked, curious.

Jenna hesitated at first, but decided to let Balto change the subject, she didn't want to ruin his good mood by dwelling on things beyond her control. "Just a few, I met a bunch of show dogs named Dixie and Sylvie", Jenna replied, though her voice was reluctant.

"I think I've heard of them, Dixie won the regional dog show last year, the prize was a solid gold collar with a diamond on the edge", Balto mused, before wolf whistling, obviously impressed.

"They were singing a song, and a pretty good one too", Jenna said, remembering her awkward performance from the day before.

"Ah, so I _was_ right about dogs being able to sing?", Balto asked, a gloating edge to his voice.

"Just like how I was right about your wounds healing in less than ten days?", Jenna reminded him, annoyed.

Balto immediately zipped his mouth shut, and kept quiet for another few minutes, before speaking up again. "Anyway, what are you going to do for your song?", he asked.

"What song?", Jenna asked.

"They didn't tell you? It's a tradition for newcomers to perform their own original song whenever they arrive in Nome", Balto explained.

"But I don't know any songs!", Jenna exclaimed, worried.

"Don't worry Jen, I'll help you think of some", Balto said, his voice reassuring.

"How are you going to help me?", Jenna asked, skeptical.

"Some of the greatest singers and songwriters in history drew inspirations from the things happening around them Jen, maybe I can help you find inspiration for a song", Balto offered, shrugging.

Jenna nodded, but Balto could tell that she still wasn't convinced.

"Is there anything else that happened that day? Anything inspiring?", Balto asked, curious.

"Well, after I sang with Dixie and Sylvie, I met up with a dog named Steele", Jenna continued, racking her brain for any other significant memories.

But while Jenna kept on walking, Balto stopped dead in his tracks, his heart having fell right out of his chest. "Who?", the hybrid whispered, his voice disbelieving.

Jenna stopped, and glanced back at Balto, confused as to why one dog was so significant to him. "Just some dog named Steele, and from the way he acted, it was almost like he knew you", Jenna explained, raising her eyebrows.

Balto looked down at Jenna's face, and she saw something in his eyes that deeply worried her. For the first time since she had met the wolf-dog, he looked afraid, almost terrified. Not even when he had taken on three dogs at once had she ever seen the hybrid so afraid before.

"Jenna, what I'm about to ask you is very important. What did you tell him? About us I mean", Balto asked, though he still seemed greatly unnerved.

"I didn't tell him anything except that I needed to get home, and that I was late for something", Jenna replied, but this still didn't seem to calm the hybrid down, instead he only seemed to get even more worried.

"Balto, what's wrong?", she asked, the rust and cream colored husky was becoming increasingly scared of the malamute that Balto, her fearless rescuer, was obviously afraid of.

"Jenna, if Steele finds out about us, then he won't rest until either I'm dead, or you're permanently banned from Nome", Balto replied, absolute terror in the wolf-dog's eyes.

"Balto, I can handle myself", Jenna insisted, growing tired of Balto constantly worrying about her.

"You don't know Steele. He preys on people's fears and weaknesses, and if he can't beat someone alone, he riles up an angry crowd until there's a whole town behind him, making it impossible for anyone to stand against him. If he was to target you, then…", Balto explained, his voice wavering.

"Then what?", Jenna asked, impatient.

"Then you wouldn't stand a chance", Balto finished, his voice a mixture of fear, sadness, and anger, all in one sentence.

"Listen Balto, I know the risks of being friends with a wolf-dog, but I know what I'm doing", Jenna said, hoping to comfort her worried friend. However, her comforting words only seemed to make the wolf-dog hybrid even angrier.

"Jenna, I won't be responsible for ruining your life, this tour is over, now", Balto said, his voice firm, before turning to walk away.

"No!", Jenna shouted, putting herself in the hybrid's way. "We came all the way out here, and we've still got a few more buildings to go", she insisted.

"Jenna", Balto growled softly.

"Please Balto, just trust me on this", Jenna pleaded, her voice soft and tender.

Balto wanted to brush past the husky and keep walking, but something made him stop and think for a minute. The weirdest expression was on Jenna's face. It was a mixture of both innocence and begging, and it was completely impossible to look away from. Suddenly, Balto felt the urge to agree with Jenna, even though he knew that he was only leaving her for her own safety. He looked at the pleading husky one last time, who's begging face had only seemed to have intensified. Balto let out an exasperated sigh, before speaking again. "_I'm going to hate myself later for this_", he thought. "Fine…", he finally said, admitting defeat.

Jenna grinned, and giggled lightly. "Now come on, let's just start over, before we started talking about Steele?", she suggested, her voice hopeful.

Balto wasn't quite ready to drop the subject yet, but eventually decided that arguing some more about Steele wouldn't solve the impasse that the two friends were currently in. "Sure…", he reluctantly replied.

"Great, well anyway, Dixie and Sylvie were nice and all, but Dixie just seemed so infatuated with Steele, she spent at least 10 minutes trying to get him to even notice her, it was making me sick", Jenna said, shuddering slightly.

"A girl who spends all her time trying to impress a man, that sounds like a great basis for a song", Balto suggested, deciding to play along.

"Really?", Jenna asked.

"Yeah, almost all songs are about relationships", Balto replied, smiling now.

"Well, maybe we should also write a party song, something fun and peppy that will get the crowd up off the floor, and dancing to beat?", Jenna suggested.

"Who says we can't do both?", Balto replied.

"Well, we should get to it then", Jenna said, grinning.

"I thought we were in the middle of our tour?", Balto asked, confused.

"Well, who says we can't do both?", Jenna replied, mimicking Balto's earlier words.

Balto frowned at first, but then burst into laughter. "Okay then, next stop, the Old Mill", he chuckled, before walking off, with Jenna by his side.

The two soon friends soon started pitching ideas about Jenna's first song.

"Okay, how about the song starts out slow and then builds over time?", Jenna asked.

"Nah, those have been completely overdone", Balto disagreed, shaking his head.

"Then what do you suggest then, Mr. Song expert?", Jenna countered, annoyed.

"How about a rock song?", Balto suggested.

"Maybe, but I've never been that much of a fan of rock and roll", Jenna replied, her voice skeptical.

"Okay, well, how about a crossover between a rock song and ballad?", Balto offered.

"A hybrid song? I suppose it could work", Jenna replied, thinking.

**((()-()))**

"**_Chicken Casanova_**" by Murray Gold begins.

After a few more hours, the two friends had finally settled on a song, or rather several different songs, some rock, some pop, and some slow ballads. And outside the Old Mill, the two dogs were currently practicing one of them.

"**_Let's Get Crazy! Get up and dance, Take a swing, Do your thing, It's worth taking a chance! Let's Get Crazy! Yeah, Just kick up your heels, Don't miss out, Time to shout! Always keeping it real, Let's Get Crazy!_**", Jenna sang slowly, trying her best to memorize every single line.

"You're doing great Jen, I'm sure you'll have it down in no time", Balto complimented, grinning.

"Thanks Balto, for doing all this for me. Taking me on this tour, and then helping me write all these songs", Jenna replied, her voice slightly embarrassed.

"Ah, forget about it", Balto replied, doing his best impersonation of a 1920s gangster.

"You know, you're terrible at impersonations", Jenna replied, trying her best not to giggle.

Balto simply shrugged in reply, unfazed. "Anyway, this is the Old Mill, the humans used to use it to cut timber, but now it's mostly used to keep dogs like you and me warm on cold nights", he explained, beckoning to the building above them.

"It's amazing", Jenna replied, staring in awe. The Old Mill was a whole lot taller and wider than most of the other buildings in Nome, and seemed to fit dozens of dogs inside it's massive rooms.

"Come on, there's just one more building left I have to show you", Balto said, tapping on Jenna's shoulder.

The red husky raised her eyebrows, but followed the wolf-dog as he trotted across the street.

"This is Nome's general hospital, in fact, it's the only hospital around here for miles", Balto explained, pointing to the building before them.

"It's so small", Jenna observed, her voice confused. To Jenna, the wooden hospital seemed much more like a small hunting cabin than a public building, even Nome's City Hall looked bigger than it.

"Nah, that's just because you're looking at the glass half empty, this is actually pretty big compared to some of the other hospitals in Alaska", Balto replied, chuckling.

"Alaska must be pretty small then", Jenna mused, rolling her eyes.

"You just need to keep an open mind, beauty is often in places where you least expect to find it. In fact, there's a whole other world hidden beneath this hospital that dogs and cats from all around travel miles just to catch a glimpse of", Balto explained.

"Wait, you're kidding me, right?", Jenna asked, her voice disbelieving.

"Well…", Balto began, his voice anticipant.

But before the wolf-dog could continue, he was suddenly cut off by the sound of a third voice, one that made the hybrid cringe from the minute he heard it.

"Hey wolf-dog!", someone shouted, laughing.

Balto and Jenna's heads immediately looked around in the direction the voice had came from, but Balto already knew who it belonged to. Standing behind the pair was the familiar shape of Steele, sneering at the sight of the two dogs together. The lead dog had been inside the Old Mill, gnawing on a bone as usual, when he had heard voices coming from outside, and both of them had sounded familiar to him. But when Steele had came outside, he was surprised to find Balto and Jenna standing in front of the hospital, and they obviously knew each other. Realizing that the two dogs were friends, or possibly something more, Steele was determined to keep his dream girl away from the half-wolf freak he despised.

As Steele continued to sneer at the couple, Balto's mind quickly comprehended the implications of Steele seeing both him and Jenna together. "_No! Why did it have to be Steele? Why now?_", he thought feverently, his heart crushed by the immense weight of his disappointment. The wolf-dog had worried that something like this would happen, that during their tour through Nome, Steele would appear, and he would either banish Jenna from Nome, or she would fall for the malamute and choose him over Balto. The wolf-dog knew that his dreams of being Jenna's boyfriend were both selfish and hopeless, but he had still been hoping and praying that they'd come true ever since he had first met her.

Balto and Jenna never took their eyes off the malamute as he approached them, grinning widely. To Balto's surprise, he realized that Steele was without his gang this time. They were probably still inside the Old Mill themselves, but their lead dog felt so confident today, that he felt like he didn't need them.

"So Bingo, who's your friend?", Steele asked, his voice half-sarcastic and half-sincere.

"My name's Balto", Balto scowled, annoyed by Steele's nickname/insult for the half-breed.

"Whatever", Steele replied, rolling his eyes arrogantly.

Balto chose to ignore Steele's taunts, and instead fought back the urge to lunge at the dog. Another fight would no doubt just worsen the bad blood between them, and Jenna would almost certainly be in caught in the crossfire. Instead, Balto forced himself to respond politely to Steele's question. "Her name's Jenna, and she just moved here two weeks ago", he explained, feigning friendliness.

Balto glared at Steele, as the malamute brushed past him, and walked up to Jenna.

"Hello Jenna, sorry we didn't get properly introduced yesterday, my name's Steele, the fastest dog in Nome", Steele explained, holding Jenna's paw.

Jenna shuddered slightly at the feeling of Steele's paw on top of hers. Once again, Jenna felt the urge to run and hide from Steele, like some long-buried instinct inside her was trying to tell her that Steele couldn't be trusted. Still, Jenna ignored it, and responded as politely as she could. "Hi Steele, I'm Jenna, it's a pleasure to meet another dog in Nome", she said, before shaking the malamute's paw.

"I heard all about what almost happened to you a few weeks ago, I'm so sorry I wasn't there to help save you", Steele said, an apologetic tone to his voice.

"_Yeah, because I was, so where were you?_", Balto thought bitterly, fighting to control his jealousy as Steele continued stroking Jenna's paw.

"It's okay, I'm just glad I escaped with my life", Jenna replied, not noticing Balto's frown turn into a angry scowl.

"I'm glad, then again, from what I've heard, you were rescued by some mysterious stranger? Did you ever find out who he was?", Steele asked, sneering. The malamute already knew from the other dogs that Balto had been the one who had saved Jenna, and that she had been seen dragging his body out of Nome, but he wanted to know more from Jenna herself.

Jenna's heart beated heavily, and she started to pant quietly (since dogs couldn't sweat). Still, Jenna fought to control her nervousness, as the malamute waited for her response. She knew that Steele didn't have any solid proof of her connection to Balto, and she wasn't about to give him any. Jenna couldn't risk being banished from Nome, or making Balto's life even worse than it already was. She glanced at the wolf-dog, who seemed just as nervous as she was at that moment. Balto had risked his life to save hers, and now she had to protect his. "No, not really. I was just so scared that I kept my eyes closed the whole time, and by the time I opened them, Devil and his thugs were already gone", she lied, fighting to control her rapid pulse.

Steele's face immediately fell, and he cleared his throat, fighting to control his own anger now. He looked at Balto, and the two rivals glared at each other, before Steele spoke up again. "Say Jenna, why don't you hang out with a classy dog like me, and not a flea-bitten mongrel like that?", he asked, his voice suave, yet suggestive at the same time.

At the word 'flea bitten mongrel', Balto immediately clenched his teeth as hard as he could. Agonizing pain surged across the wolf-dog's mouth, as his two canine teeth scraped against each other. Balto had done this to prevent himself from growling, because he knew what Steele was trying to do, what the manipulative malamute did best. Steele was trying to provoke a fight between them, hoping to make Balto look bad in front of Jenna. Plus, a public brawl would also be the perfect excuse to get the other dogs to permanently ban Balto from Nome, effectively killing any chance of the wolf-dog's survival. Still, the hybrid was also deeply afraid at that moment, but not because of Steele, but because his worst nightmare had just come true. Steele had offered his own hand in friendship towards Jenna, and she would surely accept. "_After all, why would she want to stay with a freak like me, when she could hang out with a much more attractive and successful dog like Steele?_", he thought sadly, his ears flattening against his skull.

But instead of leaving with Steele, like the wolf-dog had imagined, Jenna simply remained still, looking hopelessly conflicted. "I'm sorry Steele, but I already promised Balto I would tour Nome with him, maybe some other time?", she offered, trying to keep a steady face, even though she was still nervous about Steele's reaction.

Balto stared at Jenna, both surprised and relieved by her loyalty to him, and after thinking for another few seconds, the hybrid felt incredibly stupid. "_I'm such an idiot. How could I have ever doubted our friendship?_", he thought, before lightly slapping his forehead. However, the wolf-dog's good mood only lasted for a few seconds, before he saw that Steele had had a completely different reaction to Jenna's rejection.

Shock rippled across the malamute's face, followed by disbelief, and then anger. "_What? You're rejecting me? FOR HIM?_", Steele thought, enraged.

Balto slowly outstretched his paw in front of Jenna, and beckoned for her to get behind him, already knowing what Steele's next move would be. Jenna quickly obeyed, and got behind Balto, remembering the uncontrollable rage she had seen Steele in the other day, psychotically yelling at his own teammates.

But instead of lunging at Balto and Jenna, like the couple had expected him to, Steele fought even harder to control his anger, and stifled back a growl. Suddenly, Steele remembered something important, something that the malamute could use to his advantage. "_Maybe my chances aren't quite dead after all_", he thought smugly. After a few more seconds, Steele composed his face, and even managed to fake a smile. "Oh, well, then, there's a party at the Old Mill on Christmas Eve, maybe you'd like to come with me then?", he suggested, his voice falsely calm.

Jenna immediately wanted to say no to the unstable sled dog, but she was worried that Steele wouldn't be able to control himself any longer if she rejected him twice, so she reluctantly stepped out from behind Balto. "Alright then, I don't see why not", she replied, though her voice was reluctant.

Steele smiled triumphantly, feeling like he had beaten Balto, yet again. Suddenly, the malamute remembered something else important. "Say, where do you live anyway?", he asked, feeling rather foolish for not asking sooner.

"Just down the street, I live in the house with the broken fence, just wait for me behind the wood pile", Jenna replied, feeling even more worried now that she had let Steele know where she lived.

Balto was nervous too, and jealousy began to wash over him again when he realized that Jenna was completely sincere about going out with Steele.

"Alright, I'll see you two days from now, and make sure you wear your best collar", he said, grinning.

Jenna nodded, and the malamute began to walk away. But before he left, Steele threw one last glare at Balto, fighting back a growl. Balto fought back one of his, but the half-wolf to fight even harder than Steele to control himself.

Steele forced himself to keep walking, and not look back again. There was nothing Steele wanted more than to get back at Balto for burying him in that mini-avalanche three weeks ago, but he couldn't attack him now, not with Jenna there as a witness. He would simply have to wait until the time was right. Plus, it helped him to know that his trap for Balto had already been set. "_Enjoy your time with Jenna now Bingo, because it'll be your last_", Steele thought smugly, before walking away in the other direction. It had been the shortest and the calmest encounter Balto had ever had with Steele, and he knew it was only because Steele hadn't wanted to reveal his true self to Jenna, not yet anyway.

Balto and Jenna waited until Steele rounded a nearby corner, and was out of earshot, before they both sighed in relief, relaxing again. The two dogs laid down in the snow, and let their heartbeats slow again for the first time in over five minutes.

"What was all that about? Because I heard him in the Old Mill talking about you the other day, why does he hate you so much Balto?", Jenna asked, panting.

"Because I'm half-wolf, and he despises all wolves", Balto replied, a venomous edge to his voice.

"Well, that's just stupid, you can't help the way you were born, so there's gotta be some other reason", she insisted, shocked by the blatant injustice.

"Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. I asked Steele about it once, but I all I got was another speech about how wolves don't deserve to live in the same world as dogs. Sometimes, when I look into Steele's soul, all I see is nothing but darkness and hatred", Balto explained, musing.

"You see what?", Jenna asked, confused.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot I hadn't told you that about me yet, have I?", Balto said, lightly slapping his forehead again.

"What part?", Jenna asked, curious.

"You know the old legends about how some wolves have special powers, and freaky stuff like that?", Balto asked.

"Yeah?", Jenna replied, still confused.

"Well, sometimes I can feel the energy coming off of people's souls", Balto explained.

"Get out of town!", Jenna said, her voice disbelieving.

"It's no lie, I've had it since I was a pup", Balto explained, grinning.

"Okay then, what do you see when you look into my soul?", Jenna asked, still not believing the wolf-dog's words.

Balto frowned and seemed to concentrate on something for a few more seconds, before speaking again. "I see kindness, and compassion, and bravery, and this incredible amount of stubbornness", he replied, a teasing edge to his voice.

Jenna frowned for a few moments, and then sat up. "I've known you for more than two weeks now, and I've never thought to ask… well I asked once but I never got that much of an answer", she mused quietly.

"Ask me what?", Balto asked.

"How did a wolf-dog hybrid end up in a human town, with a goose for a father, and polar bears as his best friends?", Jenna asked, curious.

Balto's face fell, and Jenna immediately wished that she hadn't brought up the subject. But despite the obvious pain he felt over his childhood memories, Balto still continued with the story of his past. "It's just like what Boris told you when you first met me, my parents died when I was just a pup, in fact, I don't even remember them anymore. All I remember is waking up one morning, sitting inside an old boat, and surrounded by some old goose and two polar bears", he explained.

Jenna listened carefully to the story of her friend's past, the husky was hearing parts of his life that she had never known before.

"Boris told me that my mother and father had died to save me, but he never told me exactly how they died, and to be honest, I'm not even sure I want to know", Balto continued, his voice somber.

"Well, I'm sure that wherever they are now, I'm sure they're proud of who their son has grown up to be", Jenna said, trying to comfort the depressed wolf-dog.

Hearing Jenna's comforting words, Balto was immediately reminded of something Steele had told him a few weeks earlier:

_"Hah! Your mother was lucky to have died when she did, so she wouldn't see what a disgrace you were, you're nothing but a little freak, not that that bitch would have cared anyway", Steele had laughed evilly, smirking._

After hearing Steele's cruel words, Balto had immediately attacked the malamute and his gang, not caring what would have happened to him or the consequences of enraging Steele. Balto knew that he shouldn't have let Steele's words get to him like that, but it was only because he had feared that Steele was right.

"I'm not so sure about that, after all I'm nothing but a…", Balto mumbled, lying down in the snow.

"A hero", Jenna interrupted, cutting off the hybrid off.

Balto raised his eyebrows, and glanced at the husky, confused. "A hero?", he asked, his voice showing the confusion he felt.

"Well, you saved me", Jenna explained, smiling.

"Yeah, well", Balto replied, feeling embarrassed.

"Now come on, if I remember correctly, we have a song to finish?", Jenna suggested.

Balto stood up on all four feet again, and smiled at the husky. "Alright then, we'll head back over to my place for lunch, and re-write some verses for your third song", Balto agreed, looking in the direction of his familiar boat home. "After you, milady", he teased, outstretching his paw.

"You know, the gentleman act still isn't impressing me", Jenna replied, rolling her eyes.

Balto laughed, and started following her, when he suddenly stopped, and glanced behind him. Balto didn't see anyone else in the empty street, but for a few moments, the hybrid had had the strangest feeling that someone was watching them. Balto shook off the feeling, and chalked it up as still being unnerved from his unexpected encounter with Steele, unaware that someone _was_ indeed watching them from afar.

**((()-()))**

**_Author's Note:_**

Taking midway through this story, "**_The Tour_**" is another crucial chapter, it was in Cyberwulfe's original script, and further establishes Balto's relationship with Jenna, as well as the love triangle between Balto, Jenna, and Steele. This chapter is also filled with numerous quotes from the first movie, including a section where Balto and Jenna discuss hidden beauty, and a secret place underneath Nome's hospital, which I put in as a sort of prelude to the movie. Also, the idea to include "**_Boyfriend_**" by Big Time Rush in this chapter was pretty much a last minute decision, but one I went with because I felt the song perfectly describes Balto's crush on Jenna.


	8. Chapter 8: Devil's Advocate

_**Chapter 8: Devil's Advocate**_

_**Nome, Alaska, 9:00 P.M. Friday, December 22**__**nd**__**, 1922:**_

"_**Rose's Theme**_" by Murray Gold begins.

Several hours later, Balto and Jenna laid on top of the wood pile in Jenna's front yard, looking at the millions of stars in the night sky. The evening had went very well, the two had spent the rest of the day inside Balto's trawler, writing and rehearsing some more songs, and talking about the little things in life. Jenna had learned from Balto about his rivalry with Steele, how they had met when they were puppies, and about his short fight with the malamute three weeks ago. She was beginning to understand what Balto had meant about him being cursed, it seemed that the wolf-dog had been fighting his entire life, if not with Steele, than with other dogs just like him, like Blaze or Devil. Still, any thoughts of Steele, or Blaze, or even Devil were far from Balto and Jenna's minds that night. Instead, the couple were spending their last few hours together stargazing.

"Look at them Jenna, there are so many stars in the sky, thousands, maybe even millions of them", Balto whispered.

"It's so beautiful", Jenna whispered back.

"You know, some people think that all the stars we see at night are really just giant balls of superheated gas, just like our sun. And that every star in the sky might be allowing life to develop on other worlds, like how our sun did with the Earth billions of years ago", Balto explained, his voice soft. "Imagine, life on other planets, what if we could go there? What if mankind could travel to the furthest reaches of time and space, just like in a Jules Verne novel?", the hybrid mused, his voice thoughtful.

"It would be terrifying", Jenna replied, her voice thoughtful too. The very idea of leaving Earth, the planet that both humans and animals had considered their home for so long, was scary enough to make Jenna shudder.

"Yeah, it would be, but it would also be amazing. Traveling into unknown, seeing all new places, and maybe even meet an alien or two", Balto mused, chuckling.

"Is that like a wolf thing? Constantly feeling the urge to explore?", Jenna asked, curious.

"Nah, it's a dog thing too, why else do you think sled dogs are so eager to pull their sleds? It's a chance to see new places in Alaska that they've never been before", Balto explained, smiling. Normally, even the word '_wolf_' would have been enough to send the hybrid into a deep depression, but Balto was in such a good mood that night, he barely even noticed it. "It's also a human thing too. Why do you think the pilgrims left Great Britain on the Mayflower? Or why Christopher Columbus left his home in Europe to explore the new world? Or why Lewis and Clark risked to lives to map out the Louisiana Purchase?", he reminded Jenna.

"You know, you're surprisingly knowledgeable about human history", Jenna noticed, raising her eyebrows.

"Sometimes I like to spend the days listening to the children when they're in school", Balto explained.

"Okay then smart guy, then how do you explain the Northern Lights?", Jenna asked, curious. Above them, high up in the night sky, the Aurora Borealis was shining brightly, a spectacle for all of Alaska to see.

"No one knows exactly what makes them. Many scientists think it's somehow connected our sun and the Earth's atmosphere, but the Native Americans believe the lights are really the peaceful spirits of our deceased loved ones, dancing forever across the night sky", Balto explained, while staring contently at the multicolored lights.

Jenna thought about that for a few moments, before speaking again. "Well. if that's the case, then I have a loved one up there too", Jenna said, her voice thoughtful.

"Really, who?", Balto asked, curious.

"My mom", Jenna replied sadly.

Balto glanced at the saddened husky. Just like how it was difficult for him to talk about his past, Jenna also seemed to have memories of her childhood that she would rather forget.

"I was adopted by Rosie and her family when I was just a few weeks old. My mother had already passed away before I even got a chance to really know her. I think she was already sick during the pregnancy, and didn't survive giving birth to me", Jenna explained, tears flowing down her cheek.

Balto slowly lifted up his paw, and wiped away the tears beneath her eyes. "What happened to your dad?", Balto asked.

"My father? He had already left town before me and my siblings were even born. Friends of mom told me that he didn't want to accept his responsibility as my father", Jenna explained, her voice bitter.

"He must have been incredibly selfish to abandon you like that", Balto growled.

"I don't think so, I think he was just scared. My mom and dad were still pretty young when I was born, and I don't think he knew what to do, so he did what most young fathers do, he ran", Jenna replied, her voice trailing off at the end, as she fought back even more tears.

Balto looked back at the saddened husky and could tell that she was dredging up thoughts and feelings that she had kept buried for a long time now. As he watched his best friend continue to suffer, the wolf-dog really wished that he had just kept his big mouth shut.

"Balto?", Jenna asked suddenly.

"Yes?", Balto replied curiously.

"Promise me that you'll never leave me, like how my dad left be", Jenna requested, her voice begin to break for the first time since their conversation began.

Balto hesitated for a few moments, he didn't know if he could make such a promise to Jenna, seeing as how they both came from completely different worlds, and there was no guarantee that in a few years they could be such close friends as they were now. But the husky looked like she was on the verge of breaking down in tears, so Balto responded the best he could. "I'll try", he said, choosing his words carefully. It wasn't quite a promise, but it wasn't a direct no either.

Jenna nodded her head, and wiped the tears away from her eyes. "Look at me, we've only got a few minutes left to spend together, and I'm wasting them away, crying like a newborn puppy", she muttered to herself.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up like that, god knows I've done my fair share of crying", Balto said, trying to cheer her up.

Jenna nodded again, but Balto could tell that his kind words still weren't having that much of an effect on the saddened husky.

"Jenna?", Balto whispered.

"Hmm?", Jenna replied.

"Thanks for making today the best birthday I've ever had, my life was a living hell before I met you", Balto explained, smiling.

"It was my pleasure, you can pay me back the next time I have a birthday", Jenna replied, her voice lighter now.

Balto laughed for a few moments, and then stood up. "I'd better be going", he said, a wistful tone to his voice.

"Do you really have to leave so soon?", Jenna asked, almost whining.

"I'm sorry Jenna, but it's getting pretty late, and your human owners will be getting worried if you don't get back inside soon", Balto explained, to Jenna's disappointment. "Don't worry, you'll see me again soon", he promised, his voice reassuring.

"So, I'll just stop by your trawler tomorrow?", Jenna suggested.

"Nope, you know what our deal was Jenna, you would only come out to see me until my leg was healed, and now it is. Besides, now that Steele knows that we're friends, he'll be watching our every move", Balto reasoned, frowning slightly.

"Then how will I see you again?", Jenna asked, worried.

"Don't worry, I'll find a way", Balto said slyly, before leaping over the wood pile, and towards the front gate.

Jenna quickly jumped after him, determined to say one last thing before he left. "Balto, wait!", she shouted.

Balto immediately stopped running, and looked back at the husky, confused.

"Good night Balto", Jenna said softly, smiling.

"Good night Jenna", Balto replied, grinning back. The wolf-dog slowly took his left paw, pushed the gate door open, and managed to slip through without alerting the humans inside the nearby house.

A few minutes after Balto was gone, Jenna was still standing in the same place, her heart heavy. Now that Balto had left, and the only trace of him being a few paw prints left in the snow, Jenna knew that, without a doubt, she was in love with the wolf-dog. She had been in love with him from the moment she first met him, and she didn't care what the other dogs thought anymore. Everything about Balto amazed her, the way he could hold his own in a fight, how he could sweep her off her feet, even the way the wolf-dog could run had taken her surprise. She had never seen a dog run with such grace and speed as he had when she watched him bound over the wood pile. It reminded her of a gazelle dashing through a forest, or a wolf chasing down his prey during a hunt.

The word 'wolf' made Jenna shudder slightly, the stories that she had been told about wolves being savage beasts still lingered a little inside her mind, but she quickly dismissed the thought. She knew now that Balto would never hurt her, the wolf-dog would rather die himself before he would ever lay a paw on her. Jenna had just spent a whole night with the wolf, judging his character and waiting for him to make his move, but he never did - he never once attacked. He was neither a wild wolf, nor a domestic dog, but both combined. Maybe the other dogs were wrong about him. Perhaps Balto was exactly what he said he was - a gentle, misunderstood creature who never wanted to hurt anyone or anything, but was constantly judged and persecuted for what he was, instead of who he was. Perhaps Jenna was the only dog who had ever taken a chance to get to know him, instead of just shunning him or attacking him at first glance. She wished more than anything that she could be with Balto, to tell him how much she loved him. But she knew that so long as dogs like Steele were still in Nome, it would be impossible.

At the thought of Steele, Jenna immediately cringed in fear. Earlier that day, Balto had warned her about Steele being a heartless monster, and she even felt like she was in grave danger whenever she was around the malamute. Again, Jenna felt the urge to run at the mere thought of Steele, to find Balto and get as far away from Nome as possible, almost as if they were both going to die if she didn't. "_But am I just judging Steele without getting know him better? Or should I just follow my own instincts and try to avoid him?_", she thought, more confused now than ever.

When Jenna had first moved to Nome, she would have never even imagined that she get caught up in a love triangle like this, she didn't know whether to be scared or delighted at the thought of two men fighting over her. So far, neither Balto nor Steele seemed too dangerous, though she knew that Balto and Steele often got into fights with each other, and Steele often referred to her as 'his girl'. But the husky would know Steele's motive for sure on Christmas Eve, the night she would attend the Christmas Eve party with Steele.

As Jenna continued to think hardly on the subject, the front door to the house creaked open, and a little girl walked outside. "Jenna, it's time to go to bed, mom says you have to come back inside", Rosie said, smiling.

Jenna wagged her tail, and gladly followed her owner back inside the nice, warm, house, temporarily leaving her troubles behind her. Jenna would have to think some more about her relationship with Balto in the morning, as for now, it was time for her and Rosie to go to bed. Rosie always slept the best when she had Jenna lying by her side, and Jenna would do anything to please the human girl that she loved so much. After all, Rosie and her family had taken Jenna in when she was just a pup and had nowhere else to go.

But as the front door to Rosie's house slowly closed, neither Rosie or Jenna were aware that a familiar black and white malamute was watching them both a distance, ready to put his master plan into action.

**((()-()))**

_**Nome, Alaska, 9:30 P.M. Friday, December 22**__**nd**__**, 1922:**_

As Jenna and Rosie went upstairs to go to bed, they were also unaware that Rosie's parents, Thomas and Evelyn, were still awake themselves. Feeling restless, Tom and Eve were sitting at the kitchen table, chatting with Joe, and drinking some late-night coffee.

"So good news guys, it took me more than three weeks, but I think I've finally found three new ranch dogs", Joe spoke up, grinning.

"Really?", Eve asked, surprised.

"You really think you can train three sled dogs, who have known nothing but racing all their lives, to suddenly become ranch dogs?", Tom asked, his voice skeptical.

"Yep. Their musher sold them to me for a great price, he said that they had gone wild and that he couldn't control them anymore", Joe explained, unfazed by his younger brother's disbelief.

"Sounds like you bit off more than you could chew Joe", Eve said, laughing softly.

"Hold on now little sister, I pretty sure that I can re-train them, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going back to South Dakota after Christmas", Joe explained.

After hearing Joe's 'big news', Thomas simply rolled his eyes, while Evelyn took another sip of coffee.

"Okay then, what are these champion sled dogs' names?", Tom finally asked, chuckling. Tom's older brother was always coming up with some hare-brained schemes that often went awry, and it had been like that ever since they were just kids growing up on their father's ranch in South Dakota.

Across the table from Joe, Eve raised her eyebrows, waiting for his answer. Ever since she had married Thomas, Joseph mostly treated Eve like was the little sister he had never had, and she often shared Tom's opinion about Joe's crazy schemes.

"See, now here's the funny part, one of those dogs has this really girly name, so I'll have to rename him before I get back to South Dakota, after all, I don't want everyone knowing my ranch dogs are named after some late-night snack", Joe rambled, frowning for the first time since their conversation had began.

"Joe, just tell us the names already, we don't have all night", Tom interrupted, growing impatient.

"Alright, alright, since y'all just can't wait, their names are Devil, Wilson, and Cookie, and they're my new hired help", Joe replied, before taking another sip of coffee himself.

"So why did their owners sell them?", Eve asked, curious.

"He said that they were out of control, a couple of weeks ago they got in a fight with this stray dog and got themselves beat up pretty badly", Joe explained, leaning against the kitchen sink.

"So, you're trying to tell me that three sled dogs lost to just one stray?", Tom asked, his voice filled with disbelief. The skeptical immigrant was sure that his older brother was just exaggerating, like he always did.

"This wasn't just any old stray Tom, some of the locals here say that's he's a half-wolf", Joe explained, before taking another sip of coffee.

"A wolf-dog hybrid, here?!", Eve asked, alarmed.

"If I were you, I'd keep Jenna on a close lease, we don't need her getting rabies from this dog", Joe suggested.

Tom and Eve nodded their heads, deeply worried about Jenna. For the last two weeks, their faithful dog had been sneaking out of the house, disappearing for hours at a time, and they had no way of knowing whether Jenna had been spending that time running with this wolf-dog that everyone in Nome seemed to be talking about. The married couple knew that their young daughter spent most her time playing with Jenna. God forbid if Jenna ever contracted rabies from this wolf-dog, and then bit Rosie. The rabies virus would begin taking it's toll on Rosie immediately, and once it started to spread to the brain, there would be nothing on Earth that could save their innocent child. Thomas and Eve had to find a way to keep their new family safe from harm, no matter what form it took.

"Still, I wouldn't worry about it too much. From what I've heard, there hasn't been a case of rabies in this town in over ten years", Joe added, disrupting the couples' worried thoughts.

Tom and Eve nodded their heads, though they were still thinking about their wolfish problems.

Noticing the concerned look on their faces, Joseph quickly decided to change the subject to something more cheery. "I see you guys are already putting up the Christmas decorations", the young rancher observed, before pointing towards the large Christmas tree that was currently residing in the living room.

"Oh, yeah, Rosie helped me to put up the Christmas star yesterday", Eve replied, though she still seemed distracted.

Joe, Tom, and Eve sat a the table for a few more minutes, all three of them feeling awkward.

"You know what, it's getting pretty late, maybe we should all be going to bed, you've got to get to work pretty early tomorrow morning Tom", Joe suggested.

"It's okay, you go on ahead", Tom mumbled, unfazed.

Joe looked at the couple for a few moments, wishing he hadn't said anything about the wolf-dog in town, and then walked away.

As soon as he was gone, Tom and Eve shared a terrified look, worried about what they were going to do to keep their daughter safe from the wolf-dog, who was known by some of the other townspeople as Balto.

**((()-()))**

_**Nome, Alaska, 9:45 P.M. Friday, December 22**__**nd**__**, 1922:**_

Across town, the wolf-dog in question was slowly walking across Front Street, and taking his time getting back to the trawler. Balto's mind was reeling, trying to comprehend everything that had happened to him that day. The hybrid had met up with the girl of his dreams, went on an all-day tour with her, peacefully confronted Steele again for the first time in weeks, and then spent the rest of the night romantically stargazing with Jenna, staring at the billions of stars in the night sky. Balto didn't know whether Jenna knew it or not, but it had been their first real date. Balto wanted to talk some more about it the next time he'd meet her, but right now, the wolf-dog was completely exhausted, and was just about ready to let a wave of peaceful slumber wash over him.

Balto slowly climbed up the familiar wooden ramp, and onto the main deck of his boat home. Unexpectedly, Boris was waiting for him onboard. "Kiddo, you're back, we've been waiting all day for you!", Boris said, his voice relieved.

"We?", Balto asked, confused.

"Balto, you're back!", a voice shouted from out of the darkness. Muk and Luk quickly bounded over and hugged the wolf-dog, nearly squeezing all the air out of his lungs. It had been so dark, and he had been so sleepy, that Balto hadn't even noticed the polar bears were onboard.

"So, how'd it go?", Muk asked curiously.

"It went pretty good, Jenna seems to know her way around Nome now", Balto replied, yawning. Growing more and more drowsy, the wolf-dog walked past the polar bears, and entered his familiar cabin.

"Um, that's not what we meant", Muk explained, giggling.

Balto knew perfectly well what Muk and Luk were implying, but was too tired to play games with them that night, instead, the wolf-dog plopped down on the rug and closed his eyes.

"Don't even try to deny it Balto, we know that you're in love with Jenna", Muk insisted, frowning. Luk nodded his head in agreement and giggled.

"No, I'm not", Balto grumbled sleepily, wanting more than anything to for the polar bears to leave him alone so he could get some sleep. However, the polar bears just ignored him, and continued laughing.

"Oooohhh", Luk mumbled.

Balto slowly lifted up his paws, and placed them over his head, trying to block out the noise.

"Balto and Jenna sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I…", Muk teased lightly, before suddenly stopping midway. "Luk, how do you spell the word 'kissing'?", the youthful polar bear asked, confused. Luk simply shrugged in response, not knowing either.

"Uncle Boris? How do you spell the word 'kissing'?", Muk shouted, walking out of the cabin, with Luk close behind him.

"How should the heck should I know?!", an annoyed voice shouted from the distance.

Balto chuckled lightly, and then closed his eyes again. Slowly, the wolf-dog allowed himself to drift off to sleep, and once again dreamed of running through a meadow, with Jenna by his side. But this was a different dream than before. Balto and Jenna were at least two years older, and everything around them seemed to be glowing in the midday sun. These peaceful thoughts allowed the hybrid to hope, and to dream of a brighter day when he and Jenna could be together forever.

But unaware to the wolf-dog, across town, someone else had very different thoughts on their mind. Far away from the old trawler, inside the Old Mill, someone was planning their long awaited revenge against both him and Jenna.

**((()-()))**

_**Nome, Alaska, 10:00 P.M. Friday, December 22**__**nd**__**, 1922:**_

While both Balto and Jenna were lying in their makeshift beds, dreaming of a new life together, a familiar three-dog gang were huddled inside the Old Mill, talking amongst themselves in a darkened corner. The three dogs were talking about just one thing of course, the thing they had all spent three weeks planning - revenge on the wolf-dog that had so easily beaten them, and revenge on the little bitch the hybrid had beaten them over.

Shortly after their fight with Balto, Devil, Wilson, and Cookie all had to go back to their musher and face the shame and humiliation of being beaten by a half-wolf. After learning about what happened from the other townspeople, their owner sold them to a man from South Dakota, who was planning on turning them into his own personal ranch dogs. They soon learned that the man was only staying long enough to celebrate the holidays with his family, and was planning on leaving on December 26 - the day after Christmas. Knowing that they would never see the town of Nome again after Christmas Day, Devil and his gang wanted to get their revenge on Balto before they left Alaska forever.

However, coming up with a decent plan had been extremely difficult. Doc had placed the three dogs on parole after learning of the incident with Jenna, and Balto seemed to have disappeared off the face of the planet ever since their fight. After a while, the sled dogs had become convinced that wolf-dog had just died from his injuries. But after 10 whole days, they finally saw the wolf-dog again, on the 11th day.

While walking through Nome earlier that day, Devil had spotted Balto talking to Jenna and Steele, and just barely avoided being seen by the hybrid. After Balto and Jenna left, Devil quickly alerted his two friends, and decided to follow the new couple back to Rosie's house later that night. After disgustedly watching Balto and Jenna stargaze for about half an hour, Devil had waited until after Balto had left, and Jenna had joined Rosie inside, before he met with his pals in the Old Mill, sharing his new information with them.

That night, Devil, Wilson, and Cookie were putting the final touches on their trap, which they knew they had to be sprung in less than two days. As the three friends schemed, there were still hardened scabs all over their bodies. Since the sled dogs weren't half-wolf like Balto, their wounds didn't heal nearly as fast as his did. However, their wounds were still healing nonetheless, and the scars would fade away eventually, but their hatred towards Balto was something that would never fade away.

"We'll have to do in that little bitch too, after all, she's the start of all this. If we get her, then Balto will be sure to come, and then we'll kill him", Devil suggested, grinning evilly.

"You know what Devil? I like the way you think", Cookie replied, chuckling. The ex-sled dog knew that he had a girlish name, and wished more than anything that his idiot ex-master had given a name that reflected his more nasty personality.

Cookie grabbed a bone in his mouth, and crushed it into powder with his razor sharp teeth. "That's what I'm gonna do that wolf-dog as soon as I get him in my jaws!", Cookie said, chuckling.

"Oh really? Well that's nothing compared to what I'm going to do to him", Wilson laughed, contemplating what he would do that the half-wolf when they caught him. The white-furred husky wasn't totally white, because the right side of his face was black, giving him the appearance of wearing a half-mask.

"Oh really? What's that?", Devil asked, raising his eyebrows.

"First, I'm gonna let you two beat him to a pulp, and then I'm gonna mate with that bitch right in front of his eyes! I think he likes her, so that would be like a huge slap to his face right before he dies!", Wilson explained, laughing manically. However, the husky was only half telling the truth. Jenna was a very desirable bitch, but she wasn't the only one he really wanted to mate with. Balto was pretty hot for a wolf-dog. He had admired Balto's body from afar before, he and his friends used to chase Balto around town long before their last encounter.

Although Wilson would never admit it, Balto was one of the sexiest dogs he had ever seen, every bit as hot as Steele. Those yellow eyes, that lanky body, that long tail of his, it all drew Wilson in. The husky understood now why Jenna was so fascinated in Balto. One of the more alluring things about Balto was that he was half-wolf. The danger someone felt whenever they were around the wolf-dog was such a turn-on. And even though Balto was the one who had messed up his leg, and he hated the half-wolf with a passion, Wilson still got a hard-on whenever he thought of him.

It was all really confusing. On one hand, he wanted to wipe the wolf-dog out. But on the other hand, he wanted to nail the mutt into the ground with his dick. However, Wilson knew Devil would never agree with what he really had in mind for Balto, so he would just have to settle for killing Balto and raping Jenna instead. Besides, he was pretty sure Balto was straight anyway, and raping straight guys was never any fun. That's why he mostly nailed girls instead of guys (as far as his friends knew, the husky was 100% straight, just like them).

Devil laughed in return about his friends' suggestions, knowing that neither one of them would want to kill Balto more than he did. Devil also knew his friend had a bizarre infatuation with bitches, and it had led them down a road like this before. It was Wilson who had first suggested chasing Jenna in the first place, and it had also been him that had suggested eating her. While many would have considered it to ve creepy or disgusting, Devil knew that biting down on the bitches he raped was a bizarre fetish of Wilson's, and it seemed to bring him unimaginable sexual pleasure, enough to give him a sort of canine orgasm. While Devil himself found this to be both weird and disturbing, the malamute still didn't judge Wilson for it. After all, his two best friends hadn't judged him when they had found out his own well-kept secret.

Devil and his rowdy gang of outcasts often raped and preyed on naïve, female dogs because they didn't have any girlfriends of their own. There were three girls on their sled team, along with a much older and wiser lead dog. While Wilson and Cookie had often seeked the attention of their female teammates, Devil was strictly business and chose to vent his desires (purely sexual or otherwise) in other ways.

When Devil ran, he ran. It was all Devil ever thought about. The very thought of running was constantly lingering in his head, haunting every minute of every day, threatening to drive the malamute insane. Most of the time, it was like the only thing Devil knew was running and basic survival. Most of the time, the only thing the malamute did all day was eating, sleeping, and running. When he was with his friends, his daily schedule was: eating, sleeping, running, have some fun, and then eat again. This was a cycle he had repeated every single day for more than three years.

Sometimes, Devil pondered his own reason for existing, and sometimes he wished he had never even been born. Because the malamute had a secret, a deep dark secret that only his closest friends knew. But Devil knew that eventually someone else would find out, and then they would no doubt would tell the entire town about it, and then he would be just as big an outcast as that half-wolf freak, Balto.

Completely unaware of Devil's distracted thoughts, Cookie bit down on the second half of his bone, grinding it into dust too. "Oops, there goes Balto's other leg!" he chuckled.

Wilson burst into laughter, while Devil smirked a bit, the sound of his friend's laughter snapping him out of his trance. After he had started thinking about running, Devil suddenly felt the uncontrollable urge to run again. After looking all around him, Devil realized that the confined space of the Old Mill was beginning to make him feel claustrophobic. Finally, the malamute spoke up, interrupting his buddies' ill-natured laughter. "Hey guys, I think I need to get some fresh air", Devil said, his tone serious.

"Okay then, we'll come with you", Cookie insisted, standing up.

However, Devil lightly pushed both him and Wilson back down with his paws. The malamute looked around the Old Mill, trying to make sure there was no one else in earshot. Sure enough, there was a sleeping Siberian husky lying only a few feet away from them, across the room. "You guys stay here, I want to go alone. I've got that… feeling again", Devil explained, choosing his words very carefully in case the husky was only pretending to be asleep.

"Oh, we get it, sorry", Wilson replied, beginning to understand. This wasn't the first time their malamute friend had requested that he have some time alone, and it almost certainly wouldn't be the last.

Devil nodded his head, and pushed open the doors to the Old Mill, before disappearing into darkness of night.

Wilson and Cookie watched him leave, and remained silent for a few more minutes before speaking again.

"So, you're gonna take her, huh?", Cookie laughed, before lightly poking Wilson in the ribs with his elbow.

"Well, you can take her too, you can have her when I'm done", Wilson suggested, grinning.

"If we keep that up, then we'll never get around to killing Balto", Cookie reminded him, sighing.

After thinking for another few minutes, Wilson came up with another suggestion. "Why not break all his legs and leave him there? Then I can take her home with me", the husky asked.

"Why not throw her off a cliff? She'd just tell the other dogs about what we did, and then Doc will sentence us to death for sure!", Cookie reminded Wilson, fear washing over his face. The worried samoyed was beginning to have doubts about the potential successfulness of their plan - of Devil's plan.

"Who cares if she tells anybody about us? We'll be out of here in less than three days, so if we're going to do this, than it's now or never. After we kill Balto, all we'll have to do is lay low and wait until our new master takes to the US", Wilson said, his voice confident.

Cookie reluctantly nodded his head, and starting chewing on another bone, but instead of crushing it like the last one, he chewed more slowly this time. Their three-dog gang had never done anything this horrible before. The three friends had raped, beaten, and stolen from other dogs before, but nothing nearly as bad as this. Devil and Wilson were talking about committing cold-blooded murder, and the samoyed was beginning to wonder how far his loyalty to his friends would take him. Balto had hurt the dogs badly, and he wanted revenge on the wolf-dog just as badly as they did, but now Cookie wondered exactly how far the trio would go before they went too far. Cookie knew that killing Balto and Jenna would bring them all instant satisfaction, but it would also have grave consequences that could seal their fates just as well as Balto's.

After a while, Wilson quieted down, and fell fast asleep, the sound of his snoring echoing across the empty room. Cookie continued chewing on his bone and glanced towards the door where Devil had just left. "Devil, you crazy wolf", he whispered, before closing his eyes and letting himself fall asleep too. As Cookie let sleep wash over him, the samoyed dreamed of seeking out Balto and pummeling the wolf-dog to a pulp, while his best friend, Devil, began a long trek to a rather unusual destination.

**((()-()))**

_**Nome, Alaska, 10:05 P.M. Friday, December 22**__**nd**__**, 1922:**_

Outside the Old Mill, midway down Front Street, a depressed Devil dredged through the thick snow and ice that was blocking his path. Large white flakes of snow were falling from the clouds, making it even more difficult for the malamute to keep his eyes open. However, Devil tried to focus on his main goal, getting to the woods. Devil grumbled to himself and cursed mentally, because he knew that the falling snow would only make it harder to progress. But the falling snow would also cover up Balto's body, and all the blood that would be on the ground, making it almost impossible for anyone to discover what he and his pals had done. Hopefully, a pack of hungry wolves or a lone bear would find the wolf-dog's body and devour him before anyone went looking for him. If anyone went looking for him at all.

Still, Devil wanted to leave no evidence that Doc could use against him, which meant that Jenna had to die too, no matter how badly Wilson or Cookie wanted to mate with her. Doc had been causing trouble for the terrible trio ever since they arrived in Nome, and Devil wanted nothing more than to just kill the old fool right now, but unfortunately, that would be impossible. He wouldn't even get five seconds into the fight without a dozen other dogs jumping in too, rushing to Doc's defense. Instead, Devil would just have to be content with killing two of the three dogs he despised the most before he left. At least the pissed-off malamute would find satisfaction in never having to see Doc or his pathetic second-in-command Jared ever again after December 26.

After a few more minutes, Devil left the familiar streets of Nome behind him, and looked up overhead, staring at something that represented everything the ex-sled dog hated. Directly above him was Balto's boat, the old trawler, the home of the wolf-dog himself. The old boat was incredibly far away from Nome, and was beached on top of a deep snowdrift, forcing any visitors to have to climb up the ramp if they wanted to get onboard. Devil sighed. He was so close to accomplishing what he had been dreaming about for weeks now, the wolf-dog was surely fast asleep by now. Devil could have simply killed Balto then, killing the wolf-dog while he was still sleepy and sluggish would have been so easy. But the feeling inside him was much stronger than hate, something that Devil couldn't quite explain. There was part of him that wanted to give Balto a sporting chance before he killed him, which would make victory over the meddling hybrid all the more satisfying. Devil simply assumed that it was wolf half of him, and eventually forced himself to keep walking, leaving the trawler behind him.

By definition and breed, Devil was a malamute, but he was also mostly a wolf; the true breed of malamute, unlike those purebred sled dogs like Steele. The original Alaskan malamutes and Siberian huskies had all been directly bred down from wolves themselves, and Devil was from one of the old strains. His ancestors had been timber wolves, and his friends were all dogs, but he was a wolf, making him an outsider. To hide this secret from the other dogs on his team, he acted as if he was normal, but he wasn't normal and he never would be, no matter how hard he tried. Devil had been teased and picked on as a pup back in his original home in Anchorage, and as a result, the wolf-dog hated himself and all other wolf-dog hybrids. Ironically, Devil was a whole lot more like Balto than either one of them had ever realized. Wilson and Cookie had discovered Devil's secret when they had found him howling in the woods one night, but instead of judging him or even killing him like Devil had expected him to, they had stood by his side and proved themselves to be true friends. Over the years, Devil had come to see them more as more than friends, but instead the brothers he had never had.

Devil had known sled dogs on other teams, who were direct offspring of wolves and dogs, and saw no shame in their heritage. These were the dogs Devil hated the most, the ones who didn't feel the same pain he felt everyday. The wayward malamute was also disgusted that the humans would torture such animals by breeding them as freaks, just for their strength or speed. For every day of his life, Devil wished that he could exact vengeance on the humans, and on the other hybrids of the world. He saw Balto as one of these dogs, except Balto lived outside of Nome, beyond Doc's protection, and was therefore assailable. Devil, Wilson, and Cookie had chased Balto before, dozens of times, but now they were finally going to get rid of him. Devil saw nothing wrong with this, after all, it would just be one less wolf-dog in the world.

Once he reached the deepest part of the woods, Devil stared at the full moon, and the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding forest. Devil sat on his hind legs, closed his eyes, lifted up his head, and howled to the heavens. But unlike the many wolf howls the townspeople had heard before, this one was different. It was a howl of sorrow, a deranged howl that was filled with both pain and regret.

**((()-()))**

_**Author's Note:**_

After slowly shedding some light on Balto's past for the past four chapters, I eventually realized that I, along with many other diehard Balto fans, knew almost nothing about Balto's future wife, Jenna, except that the wolf-dog loved her, and they had apparently met before the events of the first movie. So I decided to use this filler chapter as an opportunity to develop Jenna's character a little bit more, introducing the idea of Jenna's father abandoning her while she was still young, leaving the husky with abandonment issues, a psychological problem that actually affects millions of people every year. I can actually sympathize with Jenna's pain, since my own biological father had abandoned me and my mother when I was still young. It was devastating, and took years to get over, but it eventually inspired me to write this chapter. For this sad scene, I opted to score it with the tragic beauty of Rose Tyler's theme, from Series 1 & 2 of Doctor Who.

After writing the first half of this chapter, I gradually switched from the fairy-tale romance of Balto and Jenna, to the demented psyche of Devil and his pals. Imagining what it's like inside the minds of three serial rapists wasn't nearly easy, but luckily, Cyberwulfe had already developed Devil's character in his original manuscript. If you notice, Devil, Wilson, and Cookie each have their own reasons for wanting Balto dead. Cookie, because he wants to help his friend. Wilson, because he's secretly attracted to Balto, and doesn't want his friends to know. And Devil, because he's ashamed of his heritage and is taking his anger out on Balto. And finally, I reintroduced Rosie's parents, Thomas and Evelyn, along with Thomas' older brother, Joseph. The idea of Rosie's parents being American immigrants from South Dakota wasn't in the original story, but was instead an idea of my own, which pays off in many of my upcoming stories, such as "_**Memories**_", "_**High Noon**_", & "_**The Good, The Bad, & The Bulletproof**_".


	9. Chapter 9: The Party

_**Chapter 9: The Party**_

_**Nome, Alaska, 8:00 P.M. Sunday, December 24**__**th**__**, 1922:**_

Jenna sighed to herself, the husky was not looking forward to what she was about to do that night. For Jenna, the last two days had been pretty boring and uneventful. After her magical night with Balto, the husky had contemplated visiting him at the trawler, but eventually decide to respect the wolf-dog's wishes and remain in Nome, where she was supposedly safe. Instead, Jenna spent most of December 23rd, 1922, practicing the songs she had written with Balto during their tour, and started working on a musical beat with Dixie and her all-dog band. However, on December 24, Jenna noticed that Nikki, Kaltag, and Star would shoot nervous looks at each other whenever they were around her. Jenna didn't quite understand their reasons for doing this, but she suspected the sled dogs were worried about her well being. Jenna then began to wonder if Steele had told them about how he had seen her with Balto. The thought made her uncomfortable, and the husky eventually decided to stay at home for the rest of Christmas Eve.

On the way home, Jenna noticed that the town had started looking more and more festive as Christmas Eve had drawn closer, and some of the townspeople had even started putting Christmas wreathes on their front doors. Jenna spent the rest of the day playing with Rosie and her family, but the whole time, she was thinking about Balto and what the hybrid himself was doing on Christmas Eve. But she also noticed that Thomas, Eve, and Joseph were eying her strangely too, baring the exact same expressions Nikki, Kaltag, and Star had. At that, Jenna began to realize that the humans had discovered she had been sneaking out, and possibly stealing food too. Jenna tried her best to remain calm for the rest of the day, but she began to realize that everyone she knew was hiding things from them, and this unsettled the husky even more. It was almost as if everyone knew something horrible was going to happen to her, and that it was only a matter of time until it did. Jenna tried not to let these paranoia-fueled thoughts get to her, but she still felt the urge to look over her shoulder every few minutes, to make there wasn't some kind of serial killer standing behind her, just waiting for the right moment to strike. The rust and cream colored husky wished, now more than ever, that Balto was by her side, protecting her like he had done so many times before.

Finally, Christmas Eve night arrived, and Rosie gladly went to bed early, almost bursting with excitement. Jenna knew that the little girl was eager to go to bed because she knew that a Christmas tree filled with presents would be waiting for her when she woke up, courtesy of a jolly old man and his magical flying reindeer. Jenna wished that she could spend the night sleeping with Rosie, but instead she would be spending the rest of the night with Steele, partying in the Old Mill. Jenna had spent hours preparing herself for this moment, but she was still dreading it just the same. She had only agreed to this date because she had been afraid about what the malamute would do if she didn't, but now she wished she had stood her ground on the matter. Still, maybe it wouldn't be all bad, after all, Jenna would have a chance to finally showcase the new songs that she and Dixie had spent days working on.

Finally, after hours of agonizingly waiting, 8:00 P.M. came to pass, the hour she was due to meet with Steele outside. Jenna took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and stood up on all four feet. The husky slowly made her way towards the front door, and the medium-sized dog door that had been newly attached by her human owners. Just like she done had two days earlier, Jenna stepped through the dog door, and walked outside into the cold night air. The husky opened her eyes, and scanned the yard, looking for any sign of the hidden malamute. Finally, she saw what she was looking for, someone was hiding behind the wood pile in the front yard. "Okay, you can come out now, it's only me", Jenna said, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, since she had said the exact same words to Balto only a few days before. Still, Jenna tried to push Balto out of her mind, and concentrated on the real reason she was standing outside in the middle of the night.

At the sound of her voice, the mysterious canine stepped out from behind the wood pile, and a wave of disappointment washed over Jenna. Instead of the familiar face of the wolf-dog hybrid she had come to know so well, standing before her was the distinctive face of Steele, complete with his light blue eyes that were the exact same shade of blue as ice. The malamute was clearly satisfied that he was finally going to have his date with Jenna, and Steele seemed to be almost brimming with anticipation. "Sorry, but I had to make sure", Steele replied, sending a chill up Jenna's spine. Even though she was having the exact same conversation with Steele as she had with Balto, it felt all wrong to her, and she wished more than anything that it was Balto standing before her, instead of Steele.

Once again, Jenna felt the urge to run from Steele, for the fourth or fifth time since she had met him. This time however, the feeling was a thousand times worse than it had been before, it was now strong enough to make goosebumps appear underneath her fur. But once again, Jenna stifled back the feeling, and tried not to let her nervousness show too much. However, while Jenna was concentrating on her hiding her nervousness from her dinner date, she had forgotten to compose her face.

Seeing the blatant disappointment on the rust and cream colored husky's face, Steele frowned, his eyebrows furrowing. "Were you expecting somebody else?", he asked, his voice suggestive.

Quickly realizing what Steele had meant, Jenna stuttered out a reply. "No, No, it's just really, really cold out here, I'm still not used to how cold it is in Nome", Jenna lied, pretending to shiver.

Steele could see right through the husky's act, but pretended not to notice, and instead chose to ignore it. "Alrighty then, then let's get you inside the Old Mill, where it's nice and warm, Dixie and the guys are still there waiting for you", he suggested, smiling. The eager malamute then pushed open the broken gate with his paw, and Jenna reluctantly walked past him.

Steele seemed to have much more confidence around her than Balto had, perhaps too much. Jenna had the distinct feeling that Steele was expecting her to instantly fall in love with him on the first date, the same way all the other girls in town had. Jenna knew that she didn't love the overly-confident malamute and probably never would, but she didn't know how Steele would react if she told him that she was in love with another man, especially with a wolf-dog like Balto. Jenna knew that she shouldn't have let Steele force into a situation like this, but she hadn't known what else to do. After her close encounter with Devil and his gang a few weeks earlier, Jenna knew that she wouldn't be able to defend herself against Steele or any other dog that wanted to forcibly mate with her.

Jenna tried not to think about the idea of Steele trying to force himself upon her, and instead focused more on her upcoming performance. She and Dixie had finished putting the final touches on her songs earlier that day, and she was pretty sure that they sounded okay, but the husky was mostly worried about her own nerves. Jenna didn't know if she could force herself to go onstage and sing in front of a bunch of strangers. She had been able to do it with Dixie and Sylvie a few days ago, but that was a spur of the moment thing, and they had been singing together as a team. But this was her first solo performance, and she was terrified about what would happen if she sung badly. Her knees were shaking feverently, and they felt like they were going to buckle underneath her weight.

Hoping to take her mind off the subject, Jenna glanced at her malamute escort, who also seemed to be thinking about something else at that moment. Steele had an eager expression on his face, like he was expecting something exciting was going to happen soon.

"Steele?", Jenna asked, her voice soft.

"Hmm?", Steele replied, glancing towards her.

"I asked Dixie about you yesterday, and she said that you've competed in races all across Alaska, how long have you been a sled dog?", Jenna asked, curious.

Instead of a cocky and arrogant response like she had expected, Steele seemed to think quietly for a few moments, and Jenna suspected that he was trying to come up with a suitable answer. Finally, the sled dog spoke up, his voice much softer than it had been before. "Pretty much all my life. I've been training since I was just a pup, before I moved here to Nome from my old home in Fairbanks about two years ago", Steele replied.

"Racing's in my blood Jenna, my own great-grandfather was a sled dog, my grandfather was a sled dog, even my own father was sled dog, before he…", Steele continued, before his voice trailed off at the end.

Jenna could tell that there was something about Steele's father that the malamute clearly didn't want to discuss, and he quickly changed the subject, clearing his throat.

"Anyway, the point is that racing is a family tradition, and it's my duty to continue that tradition, that's why I'm lead dog", Steele finished.

Steele was smiling, but underneath that wide smile, Jenna could sense pain and unhappiness. "But isn't that kinda dangerous? Running across a frozen tundra for miles and miles without ever stopping?", she asked.

"Nah, the danger's the best part, crossing over a frozen lake that's covered with thin ice, outrunning an avalanche, outsmarting a grizzly bear, the thrill is amazing, and it's so addictive that once you've ran for the first time, you'll never want to have to normal life again", Steele explained, grinning.

"Wow", Jenna whispered, awestruck.

"Besides Jenna, the only real danger out there is whenever we run into a pack of those flea-bitten mongrels, _wolves_", Steele growled, putting heavy emphasis on the very last word.

At the word, '_wolves_', Jenna immediately snapped out of her daze. Even though it was probably a stupid question, and she knew that she would probably get a harsh answer, Jenna found herself asking Steele fourteen seemingly innocent little words. "You know Steele, I have to ask, why do you hate wolves so much?", she asked, annoyed.

"Why?!", Steele replied, his voice incredulous.

"Yeah?", Jenna reiterated, standing her ground on the matter.

"Well, why wouldn't I?! Wolves are nothing but a bunch of savage beasts that attack humans and dogs whenever they get a chance. They're nothing but a bunch of yellow-bellied cowards that only attack when they have the bigger numbers, but run away whenever it's just one-on-one fight!", Steele replied, his voice on the edge of shouting.

Jenna shuddered slightly at Steele's sudden outburst, and began to wonder if she should have just dropped the matter when she had a chance. But still, she had wanted to know Steele's reasons for his prejudice against wolves, and now she was beginning to understand the malamute a little bit better.

"I'll never forget what they did to my fa…", Steele growled, before he suddenly cut off mid-sentence, and immediately clamped his mouth shut. Steele growled to himself, and Jenna could tell that the sled dog had said more than he had intended to.

"What did they do?", Jenna asked, more curious now than ever.

"It doesn't matter", Steele replied, his voice hard, and his jaw locked shut.

At that, Jenna decided not to press the matter anymore, and Steele looked up at the night sky. Thick flakes of snow were falling out of the darkness of night, and were covering the streets with a thick blanket of snow.

"Come on Jenna, we'd better get inside before it gets any colder", Steele said, his voice calmer now.

Jenna nodded her head, and followed the malamute as he ran inside the building she recognized as the Old Mill. Once she pushed open the doors, and was inside the familiar wooden room, the warmth coming off of the nearby boilers quickly washed over her.

"_Mmm, Balto and Steele were right, being inside the warmth of the Old Mill on a cold night like tonight is heavenly_", Jenna thought, sighing contently.

Steele shook his whole body for a few seconds, letting huge clumps of snow fly off his fur, before turning to grin at Jenna. "Here we are Jen, the Old Mill. It's been a part of Nome since the town was founded in 1899", the malamute explained, waving his paw around the room.

Jenna nodded her head in reply, of course the husky had already learnt all of this from Balto the other day, but she decided that Steele didn't need to know that.

"Jenna, hey girl! We thought you'd never make it!", a familiar female voice shouted, breaking Jenna's thoughts about her wolf-dog friend.

Jenna turned around to see Dixie, Sylvie, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star rapidly approaching, each with anticipant looks on their faces.

"Yeah, I just had to wait for my diner date", Jenna replied, shuddering slightly at the last two words.

Steele frowned again, and then pretended not to hear Jenna's silent shudders.

Despite his initial jealousy towards Balto, Steele had realized that watching Jenna play 'hard to get' made the husky all the more enticing. The champion sled dog loved a good challenge, and he knew that if he waited long enough, then Jenna would fall for him, just like everyone other woman in Nome.

"Steele is your dinner date?", Dixie asked, her mouth hanging open in shock.

Jenna blushed slightly. She had forgotten to tell Dixie about her date with Steele that night. Jenna knew that Dixie had a not-so-secret crush on the sled dog, and she felt bad about going out with the dog that her best friend desired, but it was unavoidable. Jenna wished now more than ever that Steele loved Dixie instead of her, it would have solved all her relationship problems. Still, there was nothing that Jenna could do now, except awkwardly force out a reply.

"Um yeah, I hope you don't mind", Jenna replied, her voice sheepish.

Dixie seemed to grow angry for a few seconds, before composing herself, not wanting to let Jenna or Steele know the true extent of her jealousy. "Nope, not at all", Dixie replied, between clenched teeth.

Sylvie rolled her eyes, obviously not sharing the same liking for Steele as Dixie did, before smiling at Jenna. "So Jen, are you ready?", she asked.

"No, not at all", Jenna whispered nervously, already knowing what Sylvie meant.

Steele raised his eyebrows, and then burst into laughter. "Don't tell me that a girl like you is afraid of one little song?", Steele chuckled sarcastically.

Jenna scowled at him, and then outstretched her paw, gesturing for Dixie to hand her a microphone. Reluctantly facing up to her fears, Jenna brushed past Steele, and walked towards the center of the room.

"Alright everyone, I promised you all a song, and you're gonna get one", Jenna announced, speaking into the microphone. Behind her, Dixie, Sylvie, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star starting setting up their instruments and mics, waiting for Jenna's cue to start playing.

"This first song that I wrote, was inspired by a very special friend", Jenna continued.

"_Yeah, I bet she has a very special friend_", Nikki whispered into Kaltag's ear, causing the tan husky to chuckle underneath his breath.

Jenna frowned, knowing that the sled dogs were talking about her friendship with Balto, but she ignored them, and tried to focus on singing.

"It tells the story of a girl who spends all her time trying to impress a guy who will never notice her, before the girl finally decides to put her foot down", Jenna finished, glancing at Dixie, to her confusion. The show dog had no clue that Jenna was referring to crush on Steele.

"Alright guys, let's hit it!", Jenna shouted, before her canine band started playing.

**((()-()))**

Just outside of Nome, Balto sat on the edge of his boat, staring at the town, and sighing to himself. Snow flakes continued to fall out of the night sky, slowly covering the wolf-dog in a thick blanket of snow, but he was too depressed to even care about how cold he felt.

After a few minutes, Boris stepped outside the cabin, worried about his son. "What are you doing son?", Boris asked curiously.

"I'm just thinking, Jenna's in the Old Mill right now, ready to perform for the first time, I wish I could be there with her right now", Balto explained, his voice wistful.

"Listen boychic, remember how I told you of Russia, about my childhood there?", Boris asked, sitting down next to Balto.

"Yeah, so?", Balto replied, confused.

"When I was a young goose, I was in love, just like you, with a girl named Christina", Boris explained, sighing contently at his memories.

Intrigued, Balto turned around and listened closely, Boris had never him anything about being in love as a kid.

"I used to spend everyday thinking of a way to tell her how much I loved her", Boris continued, his voice soft.

"What happened?", Balto asked, curious.

"Well, after a few months, she fell in love with this older goose and flew south for the winter", Boris sadly explained.

"Well that's comforting", Balto mumbled sarcastically, before turning around again.

"Listen Balto, the reason I lost her was because I never worked up enough courage to tell her what she meant to me, and that's the same thing you're doing with Jenna right now", Boris explained, standing up again.

"It's not the same, you weren't a wolf-dog", Balto replied, his voice hard.

"Jenna doesn't care about any of that Balto. If she did, she would have never stayed with you while your wounds healed from that brutal dog fight", Boris reminded him, growing impatient about the hybrid's unmoving denial.

"I don't know, maybe…", Balto muttered, still unconvinced.

Boris slowly lifted up Balto's face, so the father and son could see each other eye-to-eye.

"Listen kiddo, Jenna never gave up on you, no matter hard things got, or what the other dogs thought of her, and by not being there to support her tonight, you're giving up on her. Sometimes, truly being in love with someone means being willing to risk everything for them. Don't make the same mistakes that I did", Boris reasoned.

Balto thought about the snow goose's wise words for a few more moments, before finally standing up on all fours. "You're right Boris, I can't give up on her now, not when she needs me the most", Balto said, before leaping off the side of the boat.

Boris watched as the wolf-dog fell through the air, and landed gracefully on the snowy ground.

"_Go to her boychic, make your old man proud_", Boris thought. The old goose then walked back inside the cabin, while Balto made a mad dash towards Nome.

"_**Rock Star**_" by Hannah Montana begins.

As the wolf-dog sped towards town, he could already hear a soft rock beat coming from the Old Mill, and he knew that Jenna was starting. "_**Yeah, Oh-Oh, Oh-Oh, Oh-Oh, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Alright!**_", Jenna began, which Balto recognized as the opening lyrics to one of the songs they had wrote together. "_Come on Jen, you can't start without me!_", Balto thought, pushing himself forward even harder. As Balto made his way down Front Street, running towards the Old Mill, a loud electric guitar riff began.

**((()-()))**

Inside the Old Mill, Nikki was beginning a steady drum beat, while Kaltag's guitar riff turned into a full-blown heavy metal rock beat. Across from Nikki and Kaltag, Star pressed his paws against his keyboard, which was an extremely difficult task for an animal without opposable thumbs, or even fingers.

"_**Whoo!**_", Jenna shouted, her voice echoing across the entire room.

The canine audience inside the Old Mill clapped their paws to the beat, as Jenna started singing, with Dixie and Sylvie as her back-up vocals.

"_**Sometimes I'll walk a little faster, in the school hallway, just to get next to you!**_", Jenna sang. "_**Get next to you!**_", Dixie and Sylvie sung.

"_**Some days I'll spend a little extra time in the morning, dress to impress you!**_", Jenna continued. "_**Dress to impress you!**_", Dixie and Sylvie added.

"Go Jenna!", Steele shouted, whistling.

"Whoa, that new girl is on fire!", Jared observed, impressed. The Newfoundland was sitting next to his own all-dog band, watching Jenna's first public appearance. Despite her initial nervousness, the rust and creamed colored husky now seemed pretty confident singing in front of large crowds, and it looked like she was losing herself in the song.

"It looks like we're gonna have some real competition this year", one of Jared's buddies whispered, chuckling.

"_**Guess you don't notice, Guess you don't need this, Sad you're not seein' what you're missin'!**_", Jenna, Dixie, and Sylvie continued.

"_**On the outside shyin' away, on the inside dyin' to say!**_", Jenna sang, before the tempo sped up again. The already rapid tempo of the hard rock song sped up, as Jenna, Dixie, and Sylvie began performing their carefully choreographed dance moves.

"_**I'm unusual, not so typical, way too smart to be waiting around!**_", Jenna continued, finding it difficult to keep up with Kaltag's rock beat, which seemed to be growing faster and faster every second. She had rehearsed this number with Dixie and Sylvie dozens of times, but she still found it hard to sing for so long without having to stop and catch her breath.

"_**Tai-Chi practices, snowboard champion, I could fix the flat on your on car!**_", Jenna sung, her voice trailing off at the end, as the music abruptly stopped.

"_**I might even be a Rock Star!**_", Jenna shouted, as the music exploded again.

And then, looking over a sea of huskies and malamutes, Jenna saw a familiar face that made her heart leap. In a nearby window, the same window that she had used to spy on Steele the week before, Balto was watching her perform. He had come to support her after all. "_**I might even be a Rock Star!**_", Jenna continued, though her voice was lower this time.

The wolf-dog smiled at her, and then mouthed three silent words to her. "_Just keep going_", Balto whispered, before tilting his head to the side.

Not wanting to alert the other dogs to Balto's presence, Jenna turned her head and resumed singing the next verse. Although it seemed like she had been staring at the wolf-dog for at least several minutes, it had really only been a few seconds, and she quickly regained her place in the song.

Unaware that Balto was listening to Jenna through the window in a nearby corner, every dog in the room still had their full focus on the talented red husky.

"_**Sometimes, I wish when the phone rings that it would be you saying let's hang out! Then you'd confess that there's something special between us, why don't we find out!**_", Jenna, Dixie, and Sylvie continued. "_**But you don't even know me, guess you don't need me, why you're not seeing what you're missing, on the outside shying away, on the inside dying to say!**_", Jenna sang, holding her breath again. "_**Whoo!**_", Dixie shouted. Nikki pounded on his drum set, and the chorus section begun again.

Hidden from the view of the other dogs, Balto smiled to himself and chuckled. Jenna was an even better singer than he had remembered. Boris was right, the wolf-dog wouldn't have missed this crucial moment in their friendship for anything in the world.

"_**I'm unusual, not so typical, way too smart to be waiting around! Tai-Chi practices, Snowboard champion, I could fix the flat on your car!**_", Jenna sung, before the music slowed down again. "_**I might even be a rock star…**_", Jenna whispered, using the momentarily slowed tempo as a chance to catch her breath for the first time in over two minutes. "_**Rock Star…**_", Dixie and Sylvie whispered.

"_**If you only knew the real me, I might even be a rock star, I'm telling you that we are meant to be**_", Jenna continued, her voice low. "_**Now wouldn't it be nice if you could see, that I really am a Rock Star! Yeah, Yeah!**_", Jenna shouted, as the tempo regained it's previous speed again. "_**Whoo!**_", Sylvie shouted.

"_**Yeah, I really am a Rock Star! Hey! Hey! Hey!**_", Jenna sang. Acting on cue, Kaltag began to play another long guitar solo, while Jenna shook her head, before eventually entering the final verse of the song. "_**A Rock Star!**_", Jenna shouted.

Already knowing the lyrics to the chorus section, the entire crowd joined in for final verse, all except for Steele who refused to sing in public, and only continued to cheer her on.

"_You're doing great out there Jen, far better than I could have ever imagined_", Balto thought, smiling.

"_**I'm unusual, not so typical, way to smart, to be waiting around! Hey! Tai-Chi practices, snowboard champion!**_", Jenna continued.

"_**I could fix the flat on your on car! We're rocking it wherever we are! Yeah! Yeah! Cause I really am a Rock Star!**_", Jenna, Dixie, and Sylvie sung. "_**Yeah, Yeah!**_", Dixie shouted. "_**Cause I really am a Rock Star!**_", Jenna and the crowd sang.

"_**I am a Rock Star! Whoa - Oh!**_", Jenna finished, as Kaltag and his band finally stopped playing. "_**Yeah! Good night everybody!**_", Jenna shouted, her voice echoing across the room again.

At first the crowd was silent, before the quiet atmosphere exploded with the sound of a dozen dogs cheering and clapping all at once, and some of them were even howling with joy. Jenna was proud of herself for finishing her first public performance, and not choking under the spotlight, but she knew she still wasn't out of the woods yet. While everyone else was distracted, Jenna glanced at window and saw that Balto smiling at her. The wolf-dog then mouthed three more words to her, which she recognized as the title to another one of the songs they wrote.

"Alright guys, let's get crazy!", Jenna said, beckoning for her band to continue.

"_**Let's Get Crazy**_" by Hannah Montana begins.

Nikki, Kaltag, and Star began to play a rapid synth-pop rhythm, while the canine crowd clapped their paws to the beat, and several camera flash bulbs went off, creating another improvised musical beat.

"_**You ready?**_", Jenna asked.

"Hell, yeah!", someone shouted in the background, though Jenna just ignored him.

"_**Whoo!**_", Jenna shouted, hoping to build excitement in the crowd.

Behind her, Balto lightly clapped his paws to the beat, though being careful to make sure he wasn't making too much noise. Balto didn't want to alert the other dogs to his presence, because the hybrid knew that if Steele saw him hiding behind the window, then it was game over.

"_**Here we go!**_", Jenna finished, before beginning the first verse of the song.

"_**Life is just a party so come as you are, dress it up or dress it down, don't forget your guitar!**_", Jenna began.

"_**Yeah!**_", Steele shouted. The surprised malamute had never expected Jenna to be such a good singer. "_It seems that she's a whole lot more than just another pretty face_", Steele thought, grinning. He was confident, now more than ever, that Jenna would make an excellent trophy-girlfriend.

"_**Just be courageous, cause style's contagious!**_", Jenna continued, with Dixie and Sylvie joining in as the music sped up. "_**Everyone can rock out like a superstar!**_", Jenna sang, her voice trailing off at the end. The synth-pop rhythm exploded, as Jenna and her friends entered the first chorus section.

"_**Let's Get Crazy! Get up and dance, Take a swing, Do your thing, It's worth taking a chance! Let's Get Crazy! Yeah, Just kick up your heels! Don't miss out! Time to shout! Always keeping it real!**_", Jenna, Dixie, and Sylvie sung. "_**Let's Get Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!**_", Jenna, Dixie, and Sylvie finished, their voices lowered. "_**Our songs, our style, our hair, our smiles, our laughs, our heart, our grace, our smarts!**_", Dixie and Sylvie chanted. The crowd continued to clap their paws, as Jenna continued into the third verse.

"_**You see me on the cover of a magazine, remember, that things are always different than the way that seem!**_", Jenna continued. "_**Ha!**_", Dixie sang, blowing a kiss to the audience. "_**It's an invitation, to every nation, meet me on the dance floor and we'll make the scene!**_", Jenna sang, her voice trailing off again. Dixie, Sylvie, and Jenna then began the second chorus section, with the crowd joining in this time.

"_**Let's Get Crazy! Get up and dance! Take a swing! Do your thing! It's worth taking a chance! Let's Get Crazy! Yeah, Just kick up your heels! Don't miss out! Time to shout! Always keeping it real! Let's Get Crazy!**_", Jenna, Dixie, and Sylvie continued, before the tempo significantly slowed, entering the bridge section of the song. "_**Crazy, Crazy, Crazy, Crazy, Crazy, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La!**_", Dixie and Sylvie chanted. "_**Uh-Huh, Whoa!**_", Jenna vocalized. The husky felt a lot much more confident singing in front of the crowd this time, now that she gotten used to being in the spotlight.

"_**Our songs, our style, our hair, our smiles, our laughs, our heart, our grace, our smarts!**_", the crowd chanted. "_**La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La!**_", Dixie and Sylvie continued, before entering the final verse.

As the music continued to build, Jenna joined in with her friends chanting the final verses of the song. Nikki, Kaltag, and Star slowly joined in, and Balto found himself humming the song from his spot in the nearby window. The wolf-dog had been listening to Jenna's entire performance, and even though he couldn't be there in person, he was still cheering her on from behind the glass.

"_**Let's Get Crazy, Yeah, Crazy, Get up and dance, Take a swing, Do your thing, It's worth taking a chance! Let's Get Crazy!**_", Jenna slowly sang, with the crowd singing along with her. "_**Yeah, Crazy!**_", Dixie sang, as the music resumed it's rapid tempo. "_**Turn the music up loud, Now's the time to unwind, Lose yourself in the crowd, Let's Get Crazy! Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!**_", Jenna continued, her voice echoing across the room.

Feeling the urge to sing inside him, Balto figured that no one else could hear him over all the noise, so he decided to join in with the final chorus. "_**Yeah the fun's just begun, Let's Get Crazy! Come on dance everyone! Let's Get Crazy! It's an invitation, to every nation! Oh, Oh, Yeah! Oh, Oh, Yeah!**_", Jenna sang, clapping her paws. In the window, behind her, Balto clapped his paws too.

"_**Let's Get Crazy!**_", Balto, Jenna, and the crowd shouted. "_**Crazy!**_", Jenna vocalized. "_**Get up and dance, Take a swing, Do your thing, It's worth taking a chance, Yeah, Let's Get Crazy! Yeah, Just kick up your heels, Don't miss out, Time to shout, Always keeping it real!**_", Jenna and the crowd sang. "_**Let's Get Crazy!**_", Jenna, Dixie, and Sylvie finished.

As the crowd erupted in cheer, Balto felt another weird urge inside of him. Before he could stop himself, the wolf-dog lifted up his head, and let a joyful howl escape from his lips. Quickly realizing what he had done, Balto lowered his head, and covered his mouth with his massive paws. But it was already much too late.

The unmistakable sound of a wolf howling broke through the silence of night, echoing across the street, and awakening many sleeping humans. Lights flickered on inside some houses, as worried citizens checked to make sure there wasn't a wolf hiding in their town. But Balto was mostly worried about the canine population.

The noise reverberated off the walls of the Old Mill, and every dog in the room fell silent as they each recognized it as the voice of Balto. Jenna, Dixie, and Sylvie, who had all been taking a bow up until then, froze in fear. Jenna's heart dropped out of her chest as she realized that Balto had just given himself away, for the whole room to hear.

The entire room was deathly silent for a few more seconds, everyone holding their breath in disbelief, until finally, a familiar black and white malamute broke the silence. "You know, I think I hear… a wolf", Steele said slyly, and grinning evilly.

"It's about time boss, we've been waiting for weeks", Nikki said, standing up from his drum set.

"Patience is virtue Nikki, and a hard one at that", Steele replied, standing up too.

"What?", Jenna asked, confused.

"Why do you think Steele took you to this party toots?", Nikki asked, rolling his eyes.

"The boss knew that if you came here to perform tonight, then Balto would come to watch you, and eventually give himself away, that wolf-dog's way too dumb not to", Kaltag explained, putting down his guitar.

"It was totally predictable", Star added, grinning. Nikki, Kaltag, and Star then took their respective positions behind Steele, flanking him on both sides.

Jenna glanced at the malamute, who was now grinning at her, and Jenna slowly began to put the pieces together. Three days ago, when she was sitting outside the Old Mill, she had heard Steele and gang talking about getting their revenge on Balto, but not knowing exactly how to do it. And the day after that, when she had first agreed to go to party with Steele, he had seemed extremely satisfied about something, happy enough to leave her and Balto alone for the rest of the day. And only a few hours ago, while they were in her front lawn, Steele had seemed like he was anticipating something.

"You used me, you used me to get to Balto", Jenna whispered, shocked.

"Please, I know all about your little crush on him, and I know he likes you back. I've seen your types before, they fall in love with some wild wolves, like a bunch of love struck puppies, and then they all run off to join their little packs. It makes me sick", Steele replied, sneering.

"Why are you doing this?!", Jenna shouted, her voice hard.

"Like I said before Jenna, why wouldn't I?! Wolves are all nothing but a bunch of wild savages that need to be destroyed, every last one of them", Steele replied, his voice even harder than hers, and without any trace of remorse.

The malamute then turned towards his gang, grinning excitedly. "Let's get him", Steele said. Nikki, Kaltag, and Star nodded their heads, and then ran through the doors of the Old Mill.

Jenna immediately knew what the dogs were going to do, they would find Balto and kill him, and it was all because of her. Jenna quickly turned towards the window, and saw that the wolf-dog was no longer watching her from it. She hadn't expected him to still be there, the hybrid had most likely ran off as soon as he revealed himself, she just hoped that Balto had already put enough distance between himself and Steele. Tears flowed down the husky's face, dampening her red and white fur.

Jenna turned to growl at Steele, enraged that the sled dog had used her, just to get back at Balto. Jenna felt horribly betrayed. When she had first met Nikki, Kaltag, and Star they had all seemed like such nice dogs, and Kaltag even helped her to understand some of the weirder parts of Nome. But right now, those same three dogs were outside, chasing after her only friend, and was determined to make him pay for some fight that happened between ages ago. But even worse, Jenna had trusted Steele, and had even started seeing him as her friend.

But instead of feeling ashamed or guilty, or any kind of remorse at all, Steele just simply laughed to himself and continued to grin at Jenna. "You'd better not try to follow us Jenna, you wouldn't want to see us beat up on your little boyfriend", he sneered. To add insult to injury, the malamute lifted up his head in the air, and let a mangled screeching sound escape from his lips. Jenna quickly realized that Steele was poorly imitating a wolf's howl, mocking both her and Balto. With one last wolf howl, this time as a cry to war, Steele lowered his head, and brushed past Jenna. Jenna watched as Steele bursted through the doors of the Old Mill, and disappeared into the darkness of night.

"_NO! You're not gonna lose me that easy!_", Jenna thought, growling. The husky quickly ran after Steele, moving again for the first time in over three minutes, and burst through the doors of the Old Mill herself.

"Jenna, wait!", Dixie shouted, chasing after the enraged husky. After seeing for herself what Steele and his gang were capable of, Dixie couldn't let Jenna run off after them, not alone anyway.

The mini-show dog ran through the doors of the Old Mill, following Jenna's trail the best she could, but the rust and cream colored husky had already disappeared down the street, following after Balto, Steele, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star.

**((()-()))**

Already far ahead of Dixie, Jenna ran down Front Street at breakneck speeds. The husky was running as fast as she could, but she wasn't experienced in racing like most of the dogs in Nome, after all, she was only a house dog. Jenna knew that Balto, Steele, and his gang already had a huge lead on her, but that still didn't discourage her. Jenna didn't know what she would do once she caught up with Steele, but she didn't care, she only knew that she had to help her friend. The worst part was that she had known. She had known, all along, that Steele couldn't be trusted. Ever since she had first met the obnoxious malamute, her subconscious had been trying to warn her to stay away from him, but she hadn't listened. Jenna finally understood why wolves were always so in touch with their instincts, it helped to keep them out of harm's way.

Jenna knew that whatever happened to Balto that night would entirely her fault. The wolf-dog had put himself in danger just so he support her, just like she had done for him a few weeks earlier. At that moment, Jenna finally began to realize what Balto had meant when he had said that it was too dangerous for them to be friends. "_We can't keep taking all these stupid risks just so we can be together_", she thought sadly, as she continued to race down the street.

Jenna sniffed the ground, and to her dismay, she realized that she had been running in the wrong direction the whole time. She knew that by now it was too late to go the other way, Balto and Steele had already disappeared, and being a newcomer in Nome, Jenna knew that she had no chance of finding them again at night. Jenna finally stopped running, and tears streamed down her face again, as she realized there was nothing more she could do for Balto. "_Balto, I'm so sorry, I should have never agreed to go on this date with Steele_", she thought, crying. Jenna collapsed on the ground, not even trying to hold back the hysterics the husky felt at that moment.

"_**Midnight**_" by Murray Gold begins.

However, as she laid crying, a dark shadow cast over her.

Not wanting to look up, Jenna chose to ignore whoever it was. "Go away, I don't wanna talk right now", Jenna muttered, wiping away the tears from under her eyes.

But after a few more minutes, the dog was still standing in front of her.

"I said go away", Jenna repeated, looking up again for the first time since her hysterics had began. It was still dark as night, but she could make out the distinctive shape of a malamute standing before her. Enraged, Jenna immediately thought of only person.

"Steele! How _DARE_ you show your face again after what you did to Balto!", Jenna shouted, standing up on all four legs.

"Close, but not quite right", the malamute simply replied, sneering. The dog stepped a little bit closer, and the light from a nearby lantern cast upon his face, allowing Jenna to see who it really was.

The husky gasped in fear, and fell backwards, leaving her defenseless from the mysterious stranger. Except, it wasn't a mysterious stranger at all, Jenna had seen the dog's face before, three weeks earlier, on the day she had first met Balto - for the dog she was staring at was the face of Devil.

"_You_", Jenna whispered.

"_Yes_", Devil replied, mocking her horrified tone.

Instinctively, Jenna took a defensive stance, and tried not to let her fear show too much. "What do you want?!", she growled, desperately hoping she could bluff Devil.

However, the fearsome malamute seemed entirely unfazed by her threats. Devil was much too proud to ever be afraid of a woman, and simply scoffed at her pathetic attempt to defend herself. "_This'll be way too easy_", Devil thought, anticipant.

"I'm here, because me and my friends, we have an old score to settle with your new boyfriend, Balto", Devil explained, grinning.

"_Wait, your friends?_", Jenna thought, terrified. The husky then realized that while she had been staring at Devil, Wilson and Cookie had appeared out of the darkness, and surrounded her on all sides.

"Devil, please don't do this", Jenna pleaded.

"Oh, shut up already, you dumb bitch!", Wilson shouted, and Cookie laughed snidely.

At that, Devil leapt into the air, and tackled Jenna with as much force as he could.

Pinned against the ground, Jenna struggled against Devil the best she could, but the malamute was much too strong for her. Completely helpless to fight back, Wilson grabbed hold of her neck, and dragged the squirming husky towards a nearby wood pile. Jenna quickly realized that the woodpile was ironically located right behind the butcher's shop, where the whole ordeal had began.

"No!", Jenna screamed, realizing what Wilson was about to do. But before Jenna could struggle any more, Wilson slammed her head against the wood pile, immediately silencing the husky. As the world faded into darkness, the pain in Jenna's head numbed. It felt almost as if she was being injected with novocain, or a really strong dose of anesthesia. Eventually, after a few more seconds, her body became nothing but a lifeless shell.

Wilson was about to slam her head into the wood pile for the third time, when Devil stopped him. "Enough, she's already unconscious, we don't need to kill her, _yet_", the malamute said, smirking at the end.

Wilson and Cookie laughed in response, and then they each picked up different parts of Jenna in their mouths.

"Take her up to the mountain, I want to stay here and make sure that Balto gets the message", Devil ordered, and Wilson and Cookie nodded in reply.

As Wilson and Cookie started dragging Jenna's body away, Devil heard someone else coming down the street. The malamute quickly hid in a darkened alley, and waited for the intruder to show himself. To his relief, the dog he had heard coming was only a small show dog, Dixie, who was hardly a threat to anybody.

"Jenna, Jenna, are you here?", Dixie shouted, nervously walking down the street. After Jenna had stormed out of the Old Mill, Dixie had followed her scent, worried about her new friend.

As Dixie walked past the alleyway Devil was hiding in, the malamute realized that another opportunity was presenting itself, one that he simply couldn't pass up.

"Jenna?", Dixie continued, before smelling something that made her stomach lurch. The white snow on the ground was now stained by the redness of Jenna's blood. Dixie gasped, and stumbled backwards, only to collide into something hard and solid. She looked up, and saw the unmistakable shape of Devil towering over her.

"Hello, milady", Devil sneered.

Dixie yelped in fear, and tried to run away, only to be crushed underneath Devil's massive paws. "Relax honey, I'm not gonna hurt you, so long as you do what I say", Devil insisted, his voice smooth and reassuring.

Still, Dixie was terrified, because she knew there was a chance that Devil was lying. Dixie had heard all about the rowdy sled dog's bad boy reputation, and she knew that he liked to have his way with women, which only made her even more afraid.

Devil leaned over Dixie, deliberately breathing in her face as a way to intimidate her, as she fought back to urge to vomit. The malamute's breath smelled just like rotten meat and fresh blood. "I want you to tell that half-wolf Balto that we have his little friend, Jenna, and that if ever wants to see her again, _alive_, that he should meet us at the _Great Chasm_, and that he should come, _alone_", Devil explained, putting emphasis on certain words.

Dixie slowly comprehended what Devil was saying, and horror washed over her as she realized that Jenna had been kidnapped by Devil and his gang.

Devil slowly lifted up his paws, but the stunned Dixie still didn't move after a few seconds, still worried that it was some kind of trick.

"Well? What are you waiting for bitch?! GO NOW! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!", Devil screamed, snapping Dixie out of her fear-induced daze.

The small show dog immediately ran past Devil, back down the street, and towards the Old Mill. "GUYS! HELP ME!", Dixie screamed at the top of lungs, praying that someone would hear her.

Devil watched as Dixie bursted through the doors of the Old Mill, terrified that the malamute was right behind her, just waiting for her to let her guard down. However, Devil had no interest in chasing after the show dog, and instead laughed out loud at her fear of him. His plan had worked so far. Now all he had to do was wait.

Balto would, of course, come to rescue his beloved, and then Devil and his gang would push both him and Jenna off the side of a cliff, known by all the other dogs in Nome as "_The Great Chasm_". But not before the threesome had some fun with them first. They would slowly torture Balto, breaking off his arms and legs, ripping the flesh from around his neck, and making sure that wolf-dog felt the exact same pain that they had felt, before they killed him. And maybe if they were lucky, they would each have some time to mate with Jenna before they killed her too.

Devil chuckled one last time, before dashing down the street, hoping to catch up with his friends before they got too far ahead of him. The evil malamute was so close to getting what he had spent weeks planning. Devil was finally going to get his revenge on the meddling wolf-dog that had ruined his life for him. On that night, on Christmas Eve of 1922, Balto's tortured heart would beat no more.

**((()-()))**

_**Author's Note**_:

The scene where Balto comes to support Jenna at the Old Mill is a direct homage to the 2009 film, "_**Hannah Montana: The Movie**_".


	10. Chapter 10: The Alliance

_**Chapter 10: The Alliance**_

_**Nome, Alaska, 9:00 P.M. Sunday, December 24**__**th**__**, 1922:**_

Completely oblivious to what was happening just down the street, adrenaline was still raging inside Steele. The malamute could barely sit still, he was still much too excited from the awesome thrill he had just gotten a few minutes ago.

After gloating to Jenna, Steele had joined his friends in chasing Balto across town, and the feeling of running had been incredible. It had been so long since his last confrontation with Balto, Steele had almost forgotten what the thrill of a chase felt like. He had been right on Balto's heels, never letting the wolf-dog out of his sight, but he didn't try to catch the hybrid right away. Steele had been toying with Balto the whole time, making the game all the more interesting by giving the wolf-dog a 60 second head start. Steele and his gang had chased Balto all the way across town, out of Nome, and back to the safety of his trawler.

Even though it had only lasted for a few brief minutes, Steele felt extremely satisfied that night. The malamute felt that they had reminded the wolf-dog of his place in the world, and had also gotten back at Jenna for choosing a half-wolf over him. "_That'll teach that wolf-dog to dump snow on me and then try to steal my girl_", Steele thought, smirking.

When they were done chasing after Balto, Steele and his gang had returned to Old Mill, only to find Jenna was now gone, along with Dixie. "_Ugh, she probably just ran home crying_", he had thought.

Jared and his pals were also gone as well, and Steele was certain that Jared had left to go tell on him to Doc. Steele knew that he would be in big trouble once Doc knew about his unwarranted attack on Balto, but Steele really didn't care what the old fossil thought of him. Eventually, the power-hungry malamute would find a way to overthrow Doc's position as the town alpha, and then he would finally get to run Nome himself.

After seeing Jenna run out of the Old Mill, most of the dogs in the room had realized the party was over, and went home, eagerly awaiting Christmas morning. However, some of the dogs were still inside the building, choosing to sleep there for the night.

Just as Steele was about to pick up a bone and start chewing on it, the doors to the Old Mill flew open, and Dixie ran inside, screaming at the top of her lungs like a madwoman.

"THEY HAVE HER! THEY'VE TAKEN HER!", Dixie screamed.

Steele, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star turned to stare at her. The usually cheery and well-groomed show dog now looked terrified, and her fur was covered in dirt and blood. At first, Steele had thought that Dixie was just being overly-dramatic as usual, but as soon as he saw the blood, he knew the show dog was dead serious. "Who has what?", Steele asked, slowly putting down his bone.

"Devil and his pals, they've taken Jenna!", Dixie explained, and the entire room fell silent.

Steele's heart fell out of his chest, and for a moment, the malamute froze where he was standing. As Steele slowly comprehended what Dixie was saying, he began to snap out of his daze. "How?! She was with me the whole night!", Steele asked, his voice disbelieving.

"She ran after _YOU_ when _YOU_ were chasing Balto! She got lost, and I guess that's when they most have grabbed her", Dixie explained, as her fear for Jenna quickly turned into anger at Steele.

"_Jenna's been taken, and it's all my fault_", Steele whispered, his voice low.

"Yeah, it is! And if anything happens to her, I'll never forgive myself", Dixie replied, as tears dripped down the show dog's face. Dixie hated herself for letting Jenna go outside alone, and she knew that the husky's chances of survival were slim.

Steele's head snapped up, his worry now replaced by anger and determination. "Dixie, what did they tell you, exactly?", he asked, already contemplating a plan. Behind him, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star assumed their usual positions, flanking Steele on either side, and readying themselves for the inevitable fight with Devil that they knew was coming. The three-dog gang knew that Steele was going to find Jenna at whatever cost, and they also knew that Steele would show no mercy once he found Devil. Steele would surely kill the rival malamute as quickly as possible, for having to gall to even touch his girl again.

"They said that they were going to take Jenna to the Great Chasm, and also they told me to tell Balto to come meet them there, alone", Dixie explained, repeating Devil's words the best she could. Since Dixie had been in extreme fear when Devil was stating his demands, the show dog could barely even remember anything he had told her.

"Why tell Balto, who cares about him?", Kaltag asked, confused. Steele however, was entirely silent, because he already knew about Devil's grudge with Balto.

Since Steele obviously wasn't going to answer Kaltag's question, Dixie decided to shed some light on the situation herself. "Balto was the one who saved Jenna three weeks ago, I know because Jenna and some goose were seen trying to drag him to safety a few minutes after the fight was over", Dixie explained.

"So, they want to get revenge on Balto, and they're gonna use Jenna to do it, does that sound familiar to you boss?", Kaltag asked, scowling at Steele.

"Shut up Kaltag, I'm trying to think of a plan", Steele replied, growling softly.

"What do you mean, think of a plan?! We have to find Balto and ask for his help, Jenna's life depends on it!", Dixie asked, her voice incredulous.

"I'm not asking for help from any wolf-dog", Steele replied, his voice distracted.

"Jenna will die if you don't!", Dixie shouted, frustrated. However, Steele still didn't reply, and Dixie could tell that the sled dog hadn't even paid attention to a word she had said. "Fine, if you won't ask him, then I will! I'll just go find him at his boat!", she shouted, before turning on her heels, and walking towards the door.

"Dixie, wait!", Steele abruptly shouted, taking the show dog by surprise.

Dixie turned to glare at the malamute and raised her eyebrows skeptically.

"I'll go ask him", Steele insisted.

A wide grin spread across Dixie's face, as she realized that Steele was willing to swallow his pride and put aside his prejudice to help save her friend. "Thank you Steele! Thank you so much!", Dixie cried, before wrapping her arms around the malamute.

Steele simply rolled his eyes, and looked at Kaltag. However, Steele's confused teammates could tell that there was something else the malamute still wasn't telling Dixie.

"You'd better go find the others and tell them what happened, we'll go find Balto and head for the Great Chasm", Steele ordered.

Dixie nodded her head, and quickly ran outside, disappearing into the night as quickly as she had came.

As the doors of the Old Mill slowly closed again, Steele sighed, he thought the annoying show dog would never leave him alone.

"Hey boss, we're not really going to ask for Balto's help, are we?", Kaltag asked, curious.

"Of course we are, but you don't really think I'm just gonna let Balto take all the glory for this, do you?", Steele replied, his voice suggestive.

"Steele, you're not making any sense", Star said, confused.

Steele smiled sinisterly, and then sauntered over to Star's side.

"Don't you see Star? Devil has presented us with perfect opportunity. We'll head over to the Great Chasm, with Balto alongside us, and tonight, five of us will go in, but only four of us will come out, _alive_", Steele explained, before laughing evilly.

**((()-()))**

Outside of town, a saddened Balto laid inside his trawler, trying to stop himself from having a complete emotional breakdown. Boris watched as the husky lowered his head into paws, desperately wishing that there was something more he could do. Boris would have usually tried to comfort the wolf-dog, but he was afraid that anything he might say would cause the already fragile Balto to finally snap. Finally, Boris walked over and placed his wing on Balto's shoulder. "I'm so sorry Balto, I should never have talked you into going", Boris apologized.

"Don't blame yourself Boris, I was the one who let Steele find me", Balto whispered, tears streaming down his face.

"But as your father, it's my responsibility to keep you out of danger, not put you in it", Boris argued, sitting down next to Balto. "If I'm going to be your protector, than I'm gonna have to teach you to take fewer risks", he continued, rubbing the back of Balto's neck with his wings.

Balto chuckled lightly, and then lifted up his head so he could grin at the old snow goose. "Wait, so you're taking care of me?", Balto asked sarcastically, the exact same question he had asked Boris only a few weeks ago, on the day before he met Jenna.

"Hey, without old Boris Goosinov, you would have been dog chow years ago", Boris replied, which had also been his exact same answer as before.

Balto laughed cheerfully. It was funny how such a sour old goose like Boris could always bring out a smile on the hybrid's face whenever he needed cheering up.

"Now come on son, it's time for bed, Christmas is tomorrow morning", Boris reminded Balto, smiling.

"Yeah, but I kind of doubt that Santa delivers presents to wolf-dogs", Balto replied, his voice sarcastic.

Boris simply rolled his eyes, and walked over towards the corner where both he and Balto slept every night.

As Boris began to crawl underneath Balto's familiar blanket/rug, Balto started walking in the same direction, when the wolf-dog suddenly froze, his ears pricking up.

"What is it?", Boris asked, noticing Balto's nervous expression.

Balto immediately placed one of his large paws around Boris' mouth, muffling the goose's angry cries. "_Shh, I think I hear someone outside_", Balto explained, whispering.

"_Well, can you at least move your big paw off of my beak?!_", Boris replied, annoyed.

Balto nodded in silent compliance, and slowly removed his paw, though making sure he didn't any other noise whatsoever. The hybrid then sniffed the air, and gasped.

"_What, who is it?_", Boris asked, beginning to become worried by Balto's fear.

"_It can't be_", Balto whispered, his voice disbelieving.

"_Who?_", Boris reiterated, his worry now replaced by annoyance.

But before Balto could reply, the silence of night was shattered by the sound of someone barking, and then a loud yell.

"Hey, Balto!", a familiar voice shouted, causing both Balto and Boris to cringe.

"Hey wolf-dog, are you in there?!", the voice continued, with a more impatient tone this time.

Balto turned to look at Boris, an angry expression on the wolf-dog's face. "_It's Steele, he's here_", Balto growled.

"_What, but why?!_", Boris asked, shocked.

"Half-wolf, I'm not gonna say it again, are you even in there?!", Steele continued, growing more and more impatient, but Balto continued to ignore him.

"Isn't it obvious? Steele enjoyed the chase so much, he's come back to do it again", Balto continued, a disgusted tone to his voice.

Balto turned to look at the door to his cabin, and Boris instantly knew what the wolf-dog was thinking about doing. "No, Balto, you can't!", Boris urgently whispered.

Balto turned and scowled at the goose. "Listen Boris, I've managed to put up with them chasing me out of town, after all, I didn't belong there, but I'm not going to let Steele and his gang of thugs try to intimidate me in my own home!", Balto replied, fighting back a growl.

"Balto, I'm serious here, just come outside!", Steele continued, but both Balto and Boris ignored the malamute this time.

"But you'll die!", Boris reasoned.

"I don't care, Steele has taken this too far this time, and I'm putting my foot down!", Balto firmly replied, before stamping his foot down to emphasize his point.

Before Boris could argue with him again, Balto brushed past the old goose, and stepped outside the cabin, into the cold night air. Balto immediately ran to the edge of the boat, and peered over the side. Behind him, Boris waddled onto the main deck, but Balto simply ignored him, trying to focus his attention on something more important. After a few more seconds of scanning the ground beneath him, the wolf-dog finally found what he was looking for. Steele and his three-dog gang were directly below them, waiting for the hybrid to come meet them.

"Steele, what are you doing here?!", Balto growled, baring his teeth.

"We need your help!", Steele replied, raising his voice so that Balto could hear him.

However, Balto simply brushed off Steele's pleading words, believing that they were just another lie from an untrustworthy bully. "I know this is some kind of trick Steele, and if you think I'm going anywhere with you, then you're completely out of your mind!", Balto continued, furious at the malamute for even having the nerve to try and harass him in his own home.

"This is serious Balto! Devil, Wilson, and Cookie, they kidnapped Jenna while we were at the Old Mill, and unless you come tonight, they'll kill her!", Steele explained, his voice desperate.

Hearing Steele's chilling words, Balto immediately froze up, before shaking his head and growling again. "Nice try Steele, I almost believed that one, but I just saw Jenna at the Old Mill myself, only a few minutes ago", Balto bitterly replied.

"They took her while I was chasing you. Please Balto, I know you have every reason not to believe me, but Jenna's in grave danger and she'll die soon if you don't help me!", Steele insisted, practically begging.

The part of Balto that had common sense wanted to simply send the malamute back where he came from and go back to bed, but something else was stopping him. It was the sight of Steele begging. Balto had never seen the proud sled dog beg for anything before, especially not from a wolf-dog like him.

Using his natural born gift, Balto looked into Steele's soul, and felt the sincerity in the malamute's words. It was at that moment that Balto knew that Steele wasn't lying. But still, he had to make sure, just in case his instincts were wrong. "Then she wouldn't be home, would she?", Balto mused, his voice thoughtful.

"She wouldn't be what?", Steele asked, confused by the wolf-dog's words.

But before Steele could ask any more questions, Balto leapt off the side of the trawler, and fell through the air for a seconds, before landing gracefully on his feet.

"What are you doing?", Steele asked, surprised. But Balto just ignored him, and instead ran back towards Nome.

"Balto, wait!", Boris shouted, before flying off the boat to follow his adoptive son. Steele and his gang quickly followed after Boris, not wanting to loose sight of the wolf-dog.

Balto ran through Front Street, looking in every direction, until he finally found what he was looking for - the red house with the broken yellow fence.

Balto quickly pushed the front gate open, and smelled the doorsteps. Sure enough, there was no sign of Jenna's scent anywhere - which meant that she hadn't been home ever since she left with Steele a few hours earlier. Balto quickly sniffed around the outside of the whole house, wanting to make sure his hunch was right before he left again.

After a few more seconds, Balto ran out Rosie's lawn, brushing past Steele and his gang again, and continued smelling every inch of Front Street, searching for any sign of the husky's scent. And then, Balto smelled something else, something that filled him with dread. Balto followed the familiar, putrid scent of fresh blood back to it's source, the alleyway behind the butcher's shop. To Balto's horror, he saw that the blood was coming from a nearby woodpile, the very same woodpile that Wilson had slammed Jenna's head against earlier. Balto could smell Devil, Wilson, and Cookie's scent among the scent of Jenna's blood, and realized that Steele's words _had_ been true.

"_Jenna, what have they done to you?_", Balto whispered, horrified.

"Nothing yet, but they will if we don't find her before sunrise", Steele said, after finally catching up with the wolf-dog.

Balto turned in Steele's direction, his face determined. "Alright then, I'll come with you", Balto said, having finally made up his mind.

"What?!", Boris shouted, shocked. The goose had finally managed to catch up with Balto, only to find that the hybrid had just agreed to go on a suicide mission with his worst enemy.

"But Balto, you can't trust this guy!", Boris reminded Balto, pointing at Steele with his left wing.

"Maybe I can, maybe I can't, but either way, Jenna will die if I don't do something soon", Balto replied, unfazed.

"But…", Boris argued, before Balto cut him off.

"Boris, I already made my choice weeks ago, when I saved her from Devil the first time, remember? I decided then that I would always be there to help her, even if it meant having to give up my own life, and you know that you would do the exact same thing if you were in my place. If it was Christina who was in danger, wouldn't you risk everything, even your own life, to save her?", Balto asked, raising his eyebrows.

Boris opened his mouth to argue some more, before reluctantly closing it again, because the old snow goose already knew that Balto was right. "You're right, I would, I would probably hate myself in the morning, but I'd still do everything I could to save her", Boris replied, his voice low.

Balto placed one of his giant paws on the snow goose's shoulder, and grinned at him. "Don't worry Boris, I promise I'll be back soon, both me and Jenna", Balto said, his voice strangely cheery.

"Really?", Boris asked, his voice hopeful.

"You know I would never lie to you Boris, especially not over something like this, now, why don't you go back to the trawler and wait there until this is all over?", Balto replied, his voice reassuring.

Boris nodded his head, shot one last worried look at his son, who was about to risk his life again for the second time in three weeks, and flew away.

As soon as Boris was gone, Balto sighed.

"What was that about?", Steele asked, both confused and annoyed.

"That was me lying to one of my only friends, I'm probably not going to be coming back alive", Balto replied, his voice low, before turning to face Steele and his gang. "Because I'm going to have to save Jenna alone", Balto finished.

"What?! But you need us!", Steele argued, shocked by the wolf-dog's decision.

Nikki, Kaltag, and Star nodded their heads in agreement, they didn't want to miss out on the action any more than Steele did.

"If you guys come then they'll just kill Jenna for sure, and we can't risk that", Balto replied.

Steele opened his mouth to argue with the hybrid, but closed it again, just like how Boris had done, because Steele also knew the hybrid was still again. Devil had specifically asked for Balto to come alone, or else Jenna would pay the price for their defiance.

"But Balto, isn't there anything we can do to help?", Star asked, worried.

Balto thought about Star's words for a few minutes, before a light bulb went off in his head. The wolf-dog was thinking of a plan, a plan that just might work, with just a little bit of ingenuity, and a whole lot of dumb luck.

**((()-()))**

_**Nome, Alaska, 12:00 A.M. Monday, December 25**__**th**__**, 1922:**_

The full moon hung high in the night sky, telling an impatient Devil exactly what time it was. "It's _already midnight, and there's still no sign of Balto_", Devil thought, worried.

Almost as if he was reading Devil's thoughts, Cookie spoke up a few seconds later. "Maybe he just isn't coming. Wolf-dogs are pretty selfish you know. He could have just decided to cut his losses and let her die", Cookie suggested, who was just as worried as Devil.

"Don't worry, he'll come, so long as we have his little lady friend here", Devil replied, trying to hide the nervousness he felt at that moment. "Isn't that right, Jenna?", the evil malamute asked, wagging his eyebrows.

Underneath the sinister malamute, Jenna was still struggling to free herself, but Devil was much too strong for her. After she had awakened a few hours ago, Jenna had discovered that Devil had taken her as his prisoner. The husky had tried to escape many times, only to be caught by Wilson and Cookie every single time. Finally, after her fifth attempt to evade them, Devil had decided to just sit on top of her to keep the rebellious hostage from escaping. Every bit of Jenna was disgusted as Devil continued to press his rear end against her chest, crushing her underneath his immense weight.

Jenna knew just as well as Devil did that her wolf-dog friend would come to her rescue, only to be ambushed by Wilson and Cookie as soon as he arrived. Devil's friends were hiding underneath the snow, using the darkness of night as a cover, and waiting for Balto to eventually find them. As soon as Wilson and Cookie ambushed Balto, Devil would push Jenna off the side of the nearby cliff, torturing Balto by making sure he saw her death unfold before his very eyes, and then Devil would finish Balto off himself. Jenna struggled to turn her head around, and stared at the edge of the cliff that was only a mere 30 feet away, the very same cliff where she would be meeting her demise soon.

Jenna knew she had to do something soon, because if she didn't, it would be the end of both her and Balto, on Christmas morning. "_Ironic_", Jenna thought darkly. What was usually considered to be a day of happiness and celebration, had been turned into night filled with hatred and revenge.

Across the cliff, hidden underneath the snow, Cookie tried not to let his fear get the best of him. Devil had already gone through his plan to both him and Wilson twice, but Cookie still saw big gaping holes in the malamute's plan. According to Devil, when Balto would arrive, Devil would pretend to negotiate with him, while Wilson and Cookie crept up behind Balto and pinned the hybrid down. And as soon as Balto was restrained, Devil would drag Jenna over towards the edge of the cliff, and fling her over, crushing Balto's spirit. And once all the fight was beaten out of Balto, Devil would deliver the final blow by slitting the wolf-dog's throat.

Cookie knew that Devil had no intention of letting Wilson mate with Jenna before they killed her, but that wasn't what the samoyed was worried about at the moment. Devil had been so sure that his first plan would work that he hadn't even thought of a Plan B. Cookie knew that if Balto didn't come then the whole plan would fall apart. Devil had already told Dixie about their murder plot, and she would have surely told Doc by now, which meant they could no longer return to Nome. A terrible feeling washed over Cookie as he realized that either way the plan went, Devil's obsession for revenge would cause them to banished from Nome, or maybe even worse. Cookie hated himself for letting Devil talk him into this, he had let his blind loyalty to his friend get in the way of his common sense, and the samoyed would paying the price for it soon enough.

As Cookie contemplated abandoning one of his oldest and closest friends, Jenna continued to struggle against Devil's hold on her, but she already knew it was pointless. "You're the worst kind of scum! You're a monster!", she growled, a disgusted tone to her voice.

But instead of being angry, Devil seemed amused by Jenna's insults, and grinned at the husky beneath him. "Why, thank you, you're pretty sexy yourself… for a husky", he replied, chuckling.

Jenna stared at the dog, confused, until a horrible feeling of comprehension washed over her.

"I usually prefer my own breed, but since we're both here, under these circumstances, I think I just might make an exception, just this once", Devil continued, a suave tone to his voice. Devil shifted his weight, so that he was mostly sitting on top of Jenna's waist and her hind legs, confirming Jenna's worst fears.

"_He's gonna try to rape me, again!_", Jenna thought, terrified. However, any thoughts of sexual satisfaction were far from the malamute's mind that night, he had simply wanted to scare Jenna into submission, and was pleased when his ploy had worked.

Watching Devil and Jenna from afar, Wilson groaned to himself mentally. "_Why does he get to have her first?! He knows I hate getting stuck with his pre-used chicks!_", Wilson thought jealously, who was still unaware that Devil was intending to abandon the raping part of their plan. Still, even though he had no proof, Wilson still had his doubts. Devil never was one for keeping his promises. And by the time the night was over, he would probably have better luck in sucking that wolf-dog's dick than Jenna's.

Even though he had just been joking to himself, Wilson suddenly found himself getting horny again off his little joke. Before the husky could stop himself, he started thinking about Balto. Much like Devil, Wilson couldn't help but anticipate his chance to go head-to-head with Balto for the first time in weeks. But while Devil was excited about his chance to get revenge, Wilson was more excited about his opportunity to make the half-wolf his little bitch.

He thought about beating Balto into submission and then ordering him to lie down. He would then mount the wolf-dog's butt, and ride his ass like a bucking bronco. Once he was done having his fun, Wilson would suck on the wolf-dog's penis until he cummed down his throat. Wilson could already imagine feeling the half-wolf's warm and delicious semen sliding down his throat. As he continued to think lustful thoughts about his would-be-victim, Wilson's own penis started to stiffen, and the husky growled to himself. He had to focus on the mission. And besides, Balto was the enemy. And you don't just go around, having your sex with your enemy.

As Jenna turned her head around again, she saw something out of the corner of her eye, something that had made her heart leap with joy. Realizing that her very survival depended on what happened during the next two to three minutes, Jenna moved quickly and tried to speak to her kidnapper. "Why are you even doing this?!", she asked, feigning naiveness.

The malamute chuckled in reply, surprised by Jenna's stupidity. It seemed the husky wasn't nearly as bright as Devil had initially believed her to be. "Isn't it obvious girl? I WANT REVENGE! I want to get rid of that half-wolf forever, and if I have to use you to do it, then so be it!", Devil bellowed, right in Jenna's face, causing the husky to cringe in fear. Behind them, Jenna could hear Cookie snickering, amused by her fear of Devil.

Suddenly, Jenna and Devil heard another voice coming from the darkness, Wilson, who was slowly advancing towards them. "He's coming! He's coming right now!", Wilson whispered.

"Who?", Devil asked, already knowing the answer.

"Balto", Wilson replied, grinning.

"Excellent, the plan _is_ working. Wilson, Cookie, take your positions", Devil sneered, whispering his orders so the half-wolf wouldn't overhear him.

Devil looked down and grinned at Jenna, who was still pinned underneath him. "You'd better make the next two minutes count Jenna, because pretty soon, _you die_", he gloated, breathing in Jenna's face exactly the same way as he had done with Dixie. Jenna growled and snapped her jaws only a few inches away from Devil's face, but the malamute only laughed at her pathetic attempt to escape.

After a few more moments, a familiar scent spread across the air, which Jenna quickly recognized as the Balto's woodsy musk. "_No! Please, Dear God, No!_", she thought, tears streaming down the husky's face as she realized that Balto was about to walk right into Devil's trap.

Finally, she could see a large shape moving amidst the darkness of night. It ghosted across the field and was illuminated by the moonlight shining from overhead. Eventually, the wolf-dog came into full view, stopping only a few feet away from Devil and Jenna. Even with the moonlight shining on his face, Jenna could just barely make out the expression on Balto's face. The wolf-dog looked pretty steady, and his expression was calm and composed, but Jenna had known the hybrid long enough to know he had to have some kind of trick hidden up his sleeve. Beneath the false calmness Balto was giving off, Jenna could tell that he was excited about something, and also a little bit nervous.

Balto glared at Devil, who was still sitting on top of the girl he loved, and the wolf-dog finally spoke up, breaking the deathly silence. "I'm here Devil, now what do you want?", Balto asked impatiently.

Devil smirked in response, but still didn't move away from off Jenna's body. "Well, look who finally decided to show up. I thought you'd never come", Devil replied, avoiding Balto's question.

Jenna knew exactly what Devil was trying to do, distract Balto so Wilson and Cookie could sneak up behind him. "Balto, run! It's a trap, he's going to kill you!", she screamed, before she was abruptly cut off. Before Jenna could shout another warning, Devil immediately pressed his paws against the husky's mouth as hard as he could, smothering her.

Anger rippled across Balto's face as he saw how roughly Devil treated Jenna, but the wolf-dog managed to control his anger long enough to calmly respond. "I already know Jenna, this little meeting of yours was obviously a trap from the beginning, isn't it?", Balto replied, glaring at Jenna's captor.

"My, you are perceptive, aren't you? I wouldn't expect a half-wolf to be so sharp", Devil taunted, grinning.

Balto growled underneath his breath, and again fought back the urge to lunge at Devil.

To Jenna's horror, she could see Wilson and Cookie only a few feet behind Balto, silently moving closer and closer towards the hybrid with every passing second, waiting in the wings to spring their deadly trap. But before the two dogs could make their final move, Balto abruptly spoke again, causing his assailants to freeze in their tracks.

"Oh, by the way Devil, your two friends, Wilson and Cookie? They don't have to try to sneak up on me. I smelled them as soon as I arrived, and I already know that this is an ambush, why else would you ask me to come alone?", Balto annoyingly said, before scowling at Devil.

At the first, the malamute looked surprised, but then he laughed, amused by the wolf-dog's foresight. "My, aren't we lippy today? I don't remember you having such a smart mouth the last time we met", Devil observed.

Balto simply shrugged in response, though the scowl on the hybrid's face still remained.

Wilson grinned at the wolf-dog standing in front of him. He had a perfect view of the wolf-dog's ass, and he was loving it. Balto was even hotter than he had remembered. He wanted to just run up, and force himself upon Balto at that very moment, but he knew he had to control himself. Subconsciously, he could feel his dick hardening again, but he didn't care. He was far too content fantasizing about Balto to care about what Devil or Cookie saw.

Out of the corner of his eye, Cookie could see Wilson staring at Balto, and the enormous boner the husky was baring. The moonlight perfectly illuminated the hard-on that was poking out of Wilson's fur. "_Whoa, he's not getting his rocks off by staring at a guy's ass is he? Especially not that wolf-dog?_", Cookie thought in disbelief. However, both dogs took their attention off of Balto when Devil spoke again.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter, if you knew this was a trap, then you also know that we want you to trade your life for Jenna's", Devil said, all the humor gone from the malamute's voice.

"Why should I trust you?", Balto asked, raising his eyebrow.

As Wilson and Cookie joined Devil, flanking him on both sides, the malamute smirked again. "Because wolf-dog, you don't have a choice. Either you agree to my terms and let us kill you while Jenna walks out of here free, or you try to fight me and both of you die here", Devil replied, his voice confident.

Cookie shot a nervous glance at Devil, because the samoyed knew that this was it, whether or not the plan succeeded or failed all depended on this pivotal moment.

Tears flowed down Jenna's face, and the husky wished more than anything that she could warn Balto about how Devil was going to kill them both anyway. As Balto seemed to be thinking for a few moments, Jenna realized that there was still something she could do. The captive husky opened her mouth as wide as she could force it, and bit down on Devil's paw, which was still placed over her mouth. The malamute yelped in pain, and leapt backwards, finally releasing Jenna from his grip. Jenna quickly leapt to her feet, only to have the wind knocked out of her as Wilson tackled her to the ground.

"NO!", Balto screamed, terrified that Wilson would kill the husky. However, instead of murdering her like Balto had feared, Wilson sat on top of the husky, just like Devil had. But to the wolf-dog's horror, Wilson placed his rear end only a few inches from Jenna's face. Jenna's stomach lurched, and she cringed as she realized that Wilson was finally about to achieve he had been fantasizing about for so long.

But instead of raping her, Wilson surprised everyone by shoving his big, bushy tail into Jenna's mouth, gagging her. Jenna struggled underneath the husky's weight, and bit down on his tail, hoping he would leap off her like Devil had. But instead of releasing her, Wilson only cooed in demented pleasure. The husky had had bitches like Jenna eat his tail before, and he loved the feeling of female lips pressing down on his fur. But it wasn't just her lips coming into contact with his hind-end that pleasured him.

Wilson was more than just a rapist and a womanizer, he was also a masochist, and the pain from Jenna's bite started to make his man-parts all tingly again. As the pain in his tail grew sharper, Wilson's dick became as hard as hell, and the white husky had to fight back the urge to mate with Jenna right then and there, because he knew that it would be all the more satisfying to do it right in front of Balto before the hybrid died. No matter how hard Jenna bit down on his skin, it only succeeded on making Wilson more horny. Pretty soon, Wilson's boner had grown to full-size and jutted out of his fur, fully visible, even in the darkness of night. Eventually, Wilson realized he was close to orgasm, and fought even harder to keep his lust in check. "Damn it Devil, hurry up already! Before I cum all over this bitch!", Wilson growled vulgarly.

Balto snarled, and the hackles on the back of his neck raised up. The wolf-dog barely managed to control himself, as he saw the lustful Wilson force him upon Jenna. Over the past few weeks, Balto had learned the hard way that letting his anger get the better of him, and trying to use brute force to solve his problems only led to even more trouble. So instead of attacking, Balto forced himself to remain in place, worried that attacking the dogs would only prompt Wilson to kill Jenna. Instead he turned towards the dog who had started all this madness. "Leave her alone Devil! I'm the one you want!", Balto shouted furiously.

"_Oh, you have no idea_", Wilson thought smugly.

"Okay then, do you agree to my terms?", Devil asked, grinning evilly.

Balto hesitated for a moment, before finally nodding his head in agreement.

"BALTO, NOOO!", Jenna screamed, finally releasing Wilson's tail from her mouth.

"Any last words lobo?", Devil asked, laughing.

Balto turned to look at Jenna, fighting back tears of his own. "I have to do this Jenna. After all, I've lived a long and happy life. These last few weeks together have been heavenly, and it's all because of you, and I wouldn't change them for anything in the world", he proudly proclaimed, trying his best to smile at the husky. "And if giving up my own life means I could save the life of another, the life of someone I love, then I would gladly give it up", Balto finished, sniffling.

Tears streamed down Jenna's face as she realized that she was listening to Balto's final words. At first, the husky thought about arguing with him, but eventually decided to just let the wolf-dog have his moment, since they were both going to die anyway.

As he stood on top of the Great Chasm, surrounded by his enemies and about to ripped apart in a matter of seconds, Balto realized that it was Christmas morning, something that was considered to be a holy day amongst the humans. At the most unlikely moment, Balto thought once again of Christmas, and the legend of Jesus Christ. He finally understood Christ now, and why he sacrificed himself to pay for mankind's sins. Because he loved them, he loved the human race. And if you truly loved someone, you would do anything for them, even give up your own life for theirs. Balto had never asked to be a hero, and he certainly never pictured himself as a martyr. All the wolf-dog had ever wanted was to live in peace and be accepted amongst the other dogs. But since that dream would never come true, at least the hybrid could find comfort in knowing he had did some good in life.

Devil simply rolled his eyes, already growing tired of Balto's overly emotional speech. Devil, Wilson, and Cookie finally released their hold on Jenna, and quickly surrounded Balto, making sure that there was no escape for the half-wolf. "Anything else you'd like to say, _before_ we kill you?", Devil asked, a gloating smile on his face.

Balto hung his head down low, and waited for the final blow that he knew Devil would surely deliver. In truth, he had always known this day would come, but he always pictured himself dying at Steele's hands instead Devil, a dog he barely even knew. Still, Balto had one thing he had to say to the dog. "Just one Devil. Do you know why wolves travel in packs?", Balto asked.

"_**All The Strange, Strange Creatures (The Trailer Music)**_" by Murray Gold begins.

Devil simply scoffed in reply. "How the hell should I know? Do I look like some flea-bitten mongrel to you?", the malamute asked sarcastically.

"Actually yes, you do. But that's not the point", Balto muttered. The wolf-dog lifted up his head, and to Devil's surprise, the wolf-dog was now smiling about something, it seemed as thought the hybrid's mood had improved greatly in just a few seconds. "Wolves travel in packs, because they know that there's strength in numbers", Balto explained, grinning anticipantly.

"Well, what does that have to do with anything?!", Devil asked impatiently.

But instead of answering the frustrated malamute's question, Balto raised his head up as high as he could, and yelled at the top of his lungs. "GUYS, DO IT NOW!", Balto shouted.

Before Devil and his gang could even react, four darkened shapes sprang up from under the snow drift behind them, taking the dogs by surprise. To Devil's horror, Steele, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star sauntered towards them, each of them grinning with anticipation.

"What the hell?!", Devil exclaimed, shocked.

"You're not the only one who knows about that old snow trick. When I was young, Boris used to tell me stories about the great World War, and about how Russian soldiers use to spring ambushes by hiding under deep snow", Balto explained, his voice triumphant.

"But that's not even possible! We would have seen you coming!", Devil growled, refusing to believe he had just been tricked by a half-wolf.

"Yeah, that would be me", Jenna interjected, smiling too.

Devil turned to glare at Jenna, as he realized that the husky had tricked him as well.

"I saw them coming ages ago", Jenna explained. The captive husky had seen Steele, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star hiding under the snow while she had been pinned underneath Devil, and had decided to distract the malamute and his gang by keeping them talking for a few more minutes.

As Devil seethed at the husky, Jenna walked over to Balto's side, feeling safe again for the first time in hours.

"Thanks for the distraction Jenna, I never knew you were such a good actor, and the tears were a nice touch", Balto complimented, smiling.

"Back at you, I've never seen a guy fake-cry so well before", Jenna replied, smiling as well. To say they were currently under siege, both Balto and Jenna were in surprisingly good mood that night.

"You knew that he had a plan this whole time, all that crying you did, it was all fake?!", Devil growled, outraged.

But before Balto or Jenna could reply, an impatient Steele shoved past them, and bared his teeth at Devil. "Enough with the small talk! You're dead meat Devil!", Steele growled, before charging at the malamute.

Devil bared his own teeth, and then charged as quickly as he could at Steele, hoping he could still salvage at least some of his original plan.

As soon as they saw their lead dog making the first move, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star charged at Cookie and Wilson, determined to keep their own opponents from aiding Devil in his fight against Steele.

Still enraged by Devil's treachery, Steele tackled the malamute as hard as he could, knocking his larger opponent to the ground. Hoping to wrap up the fight as quickly as he could, Steele bared his teeth, and lunged for Devil's throat. However, Devil simply jumped out the way, and then smacked Steele in the face with his own bushy tail.

Steele shook his head, and growled at Devil. "This is it Devil, your final hour. You should have just left Jenna alone!", Steele snarled.

But instead of being frightened, Devil only seemed intrigued by Steele's threats. "Why do you even care anyway Steele? Isn't Jenna Balto's girlfriend, not yours?", Devil asked, his voice smug.

Feeling a primal rage a thousand times more powerful than he had ever felt before, Steele abandoned all other tactics and just lunged at Devil's throat, intent on silencing the malamute's insolent tongue forever.

But as Steele and Devil continued their fight to the death, Balto wrapped his arms around Jenna, trying his best to comfort the husky. "Are you okay?", Balto asked, concerned.

"Well, I'll have to take at least a dozen baths for over six weeks after being squished under those creeps, but otherwise, I'm fine", Jenna replied, laughing joyfully. The husky had never been more happy to see her wolf-dog friend, and she was even more happy that he and Steele had finally put their differences aside to save her. "I knew you would come", Jenna whispered, real tears of joy flowing down the husky's face.

"Hey, I would have never even dreamed of not coming back for you", Balto whispered back, smiling.

On the other side of the cliff face, a few meters away from Balto and Jenna, Nikki and Cookie were viciously fighting each other, chow-chow versus samoyed, and both of them were determined to be the victor at all costs. Cookie snapped at Nikki's face, but missed by only a few inches.

Realizing that he could use his larger size to his advantage, Nikki grabbed Cookie's hind leg, and started dragging the smaller dog around in circles. Nikki lifted up his head, and started spinning Cookie through the air, further disabling his opponent. Cookie growled at the chow-chow and bared his teeth, but with his whole world spinning around him, Nikki just out of reach, and there was nothing the samoyed could do to free himself from the chow-chow's grip. Soon, after another 30 seconds of spinning, Cookie was completely disoriented and could barely even see straight.

Finally, Nikki released his grip on Cookie's leg, and the samoyed went flying, hitting his head on a nearby boulder. Cookie yelped in pain, as his head started bleeding heavily. Dizzy and with excruciating pain coming from the back of his head, Cookie decided to cut his losses and run away from the fight while he still could. Nikki chuckled at Cookie's cowardice, and turned around to see how his other teammates were doing.

After comforting Jenna, Balto had joined Star in his fight against Wilson. Even though Balto and Star outnumbered Wilson 2-1, the husky was fighting like a mad dog, and was snapping his razor-sharp teeth at anything and everything that moved.

Wilson lunged at his opponents, and Balto quickly dodged the husky, only to discover that Wilson hadn't been aiming for him in the first place. Star screamed in agonizing pain, and collapsed on the ground, his right ear bleeding heavily. To Balto's horror, he realized that Wilson had just bitten off a small piece of Star's ear.

Balto's stomach lurched, and he turned to growl at Wilson, his expression furious. "You sick-twisted monster!", Balto snarled, his voice hard.

"Thanks", Wilson replied, grinning smugly.

Seeing that their best buddy was wounded pretty badly, Nikki and Kaltag quickly joined Balto's side, and both of them had the same thought in their heads, retaliation against Wilson. Jenna, who up until now had been cautiously watching from the sidelines, now felt anger towards the ruthless husky, and also joined Balto's side, significantly adding to their numbers. At that, Balto, Jenna, Nikki, and Kaltag slowly advanced towards Wilson, causing the husky to take a corresponding step backwards.

Realizing that he was now hopelessly outnumbered 4-1, Wilson knew that he had no chance of beating Balto, Jenna, Nikki, and Kaltag at the same time, and kept backing away as fast as he could. Wilson quickly maneuvered himself so that he was fighting back-to-back with Devil, who was still fighting with Steele himself.

"So fearless leader, when do we retreat?", Wilson asked sarcastically. Now that they were outnumbered, Wilson began to realize what Cookie had already seen days before, that Devil's plan for revenge against Balto had always been doomed to fail.

However, Wilson's words didn't faze Devil at all, and the malamute simply growled out an answer. "NEVER!", Devil shouted, his voice firm. Even though Devil knew that he and his friends had no absolutely chance of winning, he wasn't about to admit defeat by the hands of a half-wolf. Not again, _never again_. And even though Devil was already bleeding from many of his wounds, so was Steele, and Devil wouldn't rest until both Balto and Steele were dead.

Kaltag quickly joined Steele in his fight with Devil, biting and slashing at the malamute whenever they could get close enough, while Nikki chose to attack Wilson, determined to make the husky pay for his unwarranted attack on Star. Nikki tried his leg toss again with Wilson, but the white husky only dodged him and kicked the chow-chow in the face. Nikki flew backwards, and collided into a rock wall, knocking the wind out of the chow-chow. Nikki struggled to stand up, only to find his vision had been blurred by the impact, and the only thing Nikki could see now were blurs of black, white, brown, red, and gray, and all of them were moving rapidly.

Caught in the middle of the fight, Balto and Jenna tried to help the best they could, but neither one of them knew who to help, Steele or Nikki. Just as Balto and Jenna had decided to split up and help both dogs, Wilson walked up behind them. The white husky was injured pretty badly, but he knew that it was already too late to try and surrender, he and Devil had gone way too far. Balto and Steele would never accept their surrender after they kidnapped the girl they both loved and wounded their best friends. Wilson knew now that Devil had been right about one thing, the only way either of them were getting out of the Chasm alive was if they killed Balto and Steele before they killed them.

Wilson looked at Balto and Jenna, who both seemed distracted at that moment, making themselves the perfect targets. Once again, Wilson felt his penis stiffening softly, and tried to refocus his thoughts. He was here to help Devil kill Balto, not make love to him. "_But damn, that wolf-dog's just too sexy for his good!_", Wilson thought angrily. Deep down, the homosexual husky hated that it had to be this way, and decided that his would-be lover at least deserved a fair warning. Against his better judgment, Wilson decided to alert Balto to his presence. "Hey wolf-dog!", Wilson shouted.

Balto and Jenna immediately looked behind them, to see the bleeding husky baring his teeth at them. Realizing what Wilson was about to do, Balto thought fast, and turned towards Jenna. "Jenna, you have to run", Balto ordered.

"I'm not leaving you", Jenna argued, not budging.

"Jenna, he will kill you if gets a chance, and you're not a fighter, so just this once, please listen to me and just run", Balto reasoned, praying that the husky would listen to him for once.

Jenna hesitated for a moment, and looked at Balto one last time, before running off.

Once Jenna was safely out of the way, Balto turned to growl at Wilson, and found the husky was now smirking at him. "How noble of you. Once you're dead, I'll try to treat with her a little bit more respect than all the other bitches when I'm mating with her", Wilson taunted.

But Balto just ignored Wilson's cruel words, he knew the husky was only to trying to provoke him into acting without thinking, since it was a tactic that Steele had used against many times before. Instead of charging, Balto decided to act against his own better judgment, and offer Wilson one last chance to back down. "You don't have to do this Wilson, you can just walk away now and never come back. I won't try to find you, so long as you don't try to find me or Jenna", Balto offered, even though he already knew his kind gesture of forgiveness was pointless.

Instead of answering, Wilson just laughed out loud, as if the hybrid's offer was some kind of joke to him. "Please, you don't really think I'm going to fall for that? Only one of us is leaving here alive tonight, and it's not gonna be you", Wilson replied, grinning.

Balto groaned mentally. "_Why do they always have to be so stubborn?_", Balto thought grimly. Just like Balto had been expecting the husky to do, Wilson howled loudly, and charged right at him, determined on putting an end to his opponent's life. Balto leapt through the air, easily dodging the much slower husky, and landed on his feet behind Wilson.

Balto knew he had to find a way to knock Wilson out or at least slow him down, or else the husky would quickly gain the upper hand in their fight. Despite his 3 on 1 battle with Devil and his gang a few weeks before, Balto actually knew nothing about fighting, and had been acting purely on his instincts, passed down from generation to generation by his wolf ancestors. But Balto was sure Wilson had been in dozens of fights before, and knew every single weakness a dog had.

Before Balto could get his bearings, he was suddenly tackled to the ground by Wilson, and pressed against the snow. Unable to break free, Balto could only watch as Wilson leaned over him, grinning evilly. "Nowhere left to run now", Wilson sneered.

Refusing to give up, Balto bit down on Wilson's leg. Even though biting Wilson hadn't done Jenna any good, Balto knew his teeth were a lot sharper than Jenna's, and was hoping it would at least cause Wilson some discomfort.

Wilson flinched at the pain in his leg, before laughing heartily. To Balto's surprise, he could once again see Wilson's penis stiffening, since the husky's junk was hanging a few feet away from his face. "Damn wolf-dog, that's some bite! I thought your bitch was turning me on back there, but you're really making my cock hard. Maybe I _should_ just take you instead of Jenna, before Devil kills you, I mean. After all, guys do like to play rougher than chicks, and I hear wolves are especially tough", Wilson suggested, chuckling.

Balto's eyes widened a bit, as he realized what Wilson was implying. "You're not serious?", Balto asked, gasping in disbelief.

"What? Most of the dogs on my team are guys. You didn't really think I only slept with girls, did you wolf-dog?", Wilson chuckled.

Balto groaned, as he realized Wilson was completely serious. He knew he only had one chance to escape. The wolf-dog raised up his hind leg, and kicked Wilson in the groin as hard as he could. Now, Wilson liked pain, he liked it a lot. But the flaming agony he currently felt in his crotch was beyond pain, it was more like a raging fire inside his balls. Temporarily stunned by the impact, Wilson fell over to his side, allowing Balto to jump to his feet.

Determined not to let Balto out of his sights, Wilson got back up in less than a second. The husky growled, spun around, and swung his right paw at the Balto, hoping to knock the wolf-dog off his feet. Balto barely avoided Wilson's swing, and decided to switch from defensive to offensive maneuvers. Balto lunged at Wilson, though he wasn't really intending on hurting the dog, only to scare him into backing off, and Wilson fell backwards. The dog landed on his back on the ground, and to Balto's surprise, started sliding away.

Balto looked beneath his feet, and realized that they had been standing only a few feet away from a slippery patch of ice. Balto eyes' quickly followed the thin ice path, and to his horror, realized that they had also been fighting only a few meters away from the edge of the chasm the whole time. Balto looked up and saw that Wilson was now sliding towards the edge, unable to find anything with enough traction for the husky to hold onto to. "WILSON! NO!", Balto screamed.

Wilson screamed in horror as the edge of the cliff drew closer and closer with every second.

Balto quickly ran across the ice, hoping that he somehow could help the dog, but he already knew he would be too late.

Waiting on the sidelines, like Balto had told her to, Jenna gasped, and her mouth fell open as she realized that she was about to witness someone's death right before her very eyes.

"WILSON, DON'T GIVE UP! HANG ON TO SOMETHING!", Balto continued, screaming at the top of his lungs, as he pushed himself harder and harder to try to get to the husky in time.

As Wilson continued to slide faster and faster, the cliff face began to get steeper. And as he neared the edge, Wilson could finally see into the bottomless pit where thousands of animals had fallen to their death for millions and millions of years. Wilson was not the first to fall victim to the chasm, and he certainly wouldn't be the last. Wilson closed his eyes and braced himself as he finally ran out of cliff. With no hope left of being saved, the white husky slid off the edge of the cliff, and began to freefall, falling faster and faster towards his own doom.


	11. Chapter 11: A Hero Is Born

**_Chapter 11: A Hero Is Born_**

**_Nome, Alaska, 12:30 A.M. Monday, December 25th, 1922:_**

Wilson fell through the air, and braced himself for his devastating impact with the jagged rocks below. But after a few more seconds, Wilson felt like he was still in one piece. At first, the husky thought it just felt like he was falling slowly. But even after a few more agonizing seconds, death never came for him. After about 30 seconds, Wilson felt a hard tugging feeling around his neck area, and realized that something was holding him up in mid-air.

"**_I Am The Doctor_**" by Murray Gold begins.

Finally, Wilson opened his eyes and looked up, to see Balto holding onto the scruff of his neck with his teeth, determined not to let anything happen to the husky. "Don't you even think about dying on me now!", he growled, his voice determined. Balto could just barely hold up the heavy husky's weight, and the hybrid himself was dangling off the side of the cliff, using his wolfish claws to hang onto the edge of the cliff face.

Wilson's mouth fell open in shock, as he realized that the wolf-dog was trying to save his life.

Balto struggled to pull himself upwards, desperately trying to pull Wilson back to safety. "God, Wilson, why did you have to be so heavy?", Balto groaned, his voice muffled by all the fur in his mouth.

"Well, why do you have to be so weak for a half-wolf?", Wilson retorted, offended.

"Don't make me drop you!", Balto replied, scowling at the ungrateful husky. The wolf-dog stepped back a few inches, and slipped on a small patch of ice, almost losing his footing and nearly sending both dogs flying off the edge of the cliff.

Realizing that Balto couldn't pull up Wilson's weight alone, Jenna carefully walked towards the cliff edge, and started pulling Balto back onto the cliff. Adding a third dog to the two-dog chain sped them up significantly, and Balto and Jenna finally found enough strength inside them to pull Wilson above the cliff face, and back onto solid ground.

Balto and Jenna panted heavily, completely exhausted, while Wilson collapsed on the ground, all the fight gone out of the husky.

"Do you believe my offer's real now?", Balto panted, standing over the husky.

Wilson hesitated for a second, before eventually nodding his head. In his entire life, the sled dog had never met anyone who was willing to risk their own life to try and save somebody else's, especially not for a serial rapist like him. The husky slowly stood up, making sure he never took his eyes off Balto, but was surprised to find that the wolf-dog now had his paw outstretched towards him. Realizing that Balto was expecting a handshake, Wilson stared at the hybrid's paw for a few more seconds, before reluctantly shaking it.

"I hope this makes us even", Balto said, grinning.

But before Wilson could answer, Balto heard the sound of someone screaming, and looked around to find the source. A few meters away from them, Steele and Kaltag were closing in on Devil, backing the malamute towards the edge of the Chasm.

Balto quickly realized that Steele wasn't planning on being anywhere near as merciful as he had been, and was intent on pushing Devil off the edge, killing the malamute in cold blood. "NOOO! STEELE! YOU CAN'T!", Balto screamed, running as fast as he could to stop them.

Catching on to Steele's sinister plan just as quickly as Balto had, Jenna ran after the wolf-dog, with Wilson right behind her, determined to save his best friend.

"I told you this was the end Devil. I hope you have fun in hell, with the real devil", Steele taunted gloatingly.

Devil backed up again, only to have one of his hind legs step into empty air. Devil quickly planted all four feet back on the ground, and looked behind him, seeing only the bottomless pit of the Great Chasm. Realizing that there was nowhere left to run, Devil closed his eyes and the malamute prepared to accept his death with whatever little dignity he still had left.

Steele grinned evilly, and raised his paws to push Devil off the edge, when something stopped him - a familiar wolf-dog hybrid. Balto quickly brushed past the malamute, and immediately put himself between Steele and Devil. Frustrated that Balto was getting in the way of his final revenge against Devil, Steele growled at the hybrid. "Get out of my way wolf-dog!", Steele ordered.

However, Balto still didn't back down, and continued to stand his ground. "I won't let you kill him Steele!", Balto replied, his voice firm.

Devil was surprised to find Balto was defending him, and noticed the wolf-dog had his back turned to him. For a split second, Devil contemplated attacking the hybrid from behind, but something inside of him decided against it. Realizing that Balto was now the only thing standing between him and an untimely death by the hands of Steele, the malamute decided that the time for sneak attacks was over.

"Have you forgotten what they did to you? What they did to Jenna?", Steele growled, his voice incredulous.

A British choir begins to vocalize, as Balto continued to stand in the angry malamute's way. "I know they hurt me Steele, and I know that they hurt Jenna too, and believe me, I'm just as mad about that as you are, but killing them won't solve anything, it just makes us as bad as them", Balto reasoned.

The wolf-dog turned to glance at Wilson, who was now standing right next to Jenna, and were both watching Balto with wide eyes.

"And I know this because I almost just committed murder myself. I almost made the biggest mistake of my life, and all because of this silly little feud", Balto explained, a small smile beginning to spread across the hybrid's face.

Steele and Kaltag stared at Wilson, and then at Balto, confused. For years, their lives had been filled with nothing but anger, and violence and revenge, so the two sled dogs didn't understand anything the wolf-dog was trying to tell them.

"Well, you're not suggesting that we just let them off the hook, are you?", Kaltag asked, confused.

"No, I may be willing to forgive them, but I'm not a fool", Balto replied, before turning around to glare at Devil, who was still dumbfounded by the hybrid's generosity.

"Devil, I'm giving you this one chance and one chance only, your friend Wilson took it, so I suggest you do the same", Balto advised, his voice sterner than Jenna had ever heard it before. "I'm going to let you walk away from this fight, so long as you leave Nome and never come back", the hybrid explained.

"What? You don't expect me to…", Devil began, before Balto harshly cut him off.

"I don't care if you think it's undignified to lose to a wolf-dog! If you don't surrender now, then I'll just step back, and let Steele here rip you to pieces!", Balto growled, causing the malamute's ego to shrink significantly.

Standing between Wilson and Steele, Jenna stared at Balto, amazed. She had seen the wolf-dog fight before, but never had she seen such a confrontational side to him - the hybrid was able to get another dog to back down just by talking to him.

Steele stared at Balto too, confused and surprised by what he was seeing. In all the time Steele had known the wolf-dog, he never known he had the guts to stand up to somebody like that before, and it kind of worried him. It seemed that Steele had underestimated the hybrid, the dog who he had previously thought to be just a wimp had some fight in him after all.

"Now I know you hate me Devil, and I'm not exactly your biggest fan either, and I'm also not naïve enough to think that we'll never see each other again some day. The world's a pretty small place, and the chances are that we'll eventually meet up again, and you'll probably still hate me then too. But if you ever want to challenge me again…", Balto continued, his voice slightly calmer now.

The wolf-dog slowly leaned forward, putting his face only a few inches from Devil's, causing the malamute to cower in fear. Balto placed his paws on Devil's shoulder, holding the terrified dog in a vice grip.

"Bring the fight directly to me, and don't ever try to hurt me through the ones I love again, do you understand?", Balto asked, his voice lowered.

However, Devil was still too scared to answer, his tail now tucked beneath his legs.

"I said, do you understand?", Balto reiterated, growing impatient.

The malamute finally nodded his head in reply, and Balto stepped back, holding up his own end of the deal by releasing him.

"Go now", Balto ordered, his voice hard and without any kind of emotion.

Devil immediately obeyed Balto's orders, and brushed past the wolf-dog, with Wilson by his side. Balto, Jenna, Steele, and Kaltag watched as Devil and Wilson found their samoyed friend lying on the ground, still bleeding from his wounds. Wilson and Devil quickly grabbed different parts of Cookie in their mouth, and started dragging the wounded dog away, starting their long walk back to town.

Devil knew that by now, Doc would have learned all about their murder attempt from Dixie, so the malamute also knew that they couldn't return to Nome. The threesome would just have to hide somewhere in the woods and tend to their wounds, until it was time for their new owner to leave the next day. Maybe they would have better luck once the trio had a clean slate in South Dakota, and would hopefully stay out of trouble.

After a few more minutes, Devil, Wilson, and Cookie disappeared into the night, and Balto breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing again for the first time in hours. Exhausted, Balto and Jenna laid down on the ground, panting heavily.

"I can't believe it, how did you scare off Devil like that? It was amazing!", Jenna asked, excited.

"I don't know, I guess I was just acting on instinct", Balto mused, much too tired to think of a proper answer.

A few feet away from them, Nikki, Kaltag, Star, who were all pretty badly injured, were just getting to their feet, glad to even still be alive after their vicious fight with Devil and his pals. Steele however, seemed to be in deep thought about something, and had no interest in checking up on his teammates. Balto knew that Steele was still mad that he had ruined his revenge against Devil, but the wolf-dog still felt like he had done the right thing by granting Devil and his gang mercy. Still, there was something Balto felt like he needed to tell Steele, so the hybrid got to his feet and walked off, with a curious Jenna right behind him. Balto slowly walked up to Steele, and tapped the surly malamute on the shoulder.

"What do you want?", Steele muttered, annoyed.

"Listen Steele, I just wanted to thank you for everything you did here tonight, for me and for Jenna", Balto began, smiling.

"You want to what?", Steele asked. The malamute had almost seemed angered by Balto's words, but the wolf-dog didn't seem to notice.

"I couldn't have saved Jenna without you. I know that we've had our differences in the past, and I know that we've both had our share of close encounters, but tonight just proves that if we both try hard enough we can both be friends and…", Balto explained, before he was suddenly cut off.

Steele raised his right paw, and slapped Balto across the face, sending the wolf-dog flying backwards.

Jenna gasped in horror as Balto landed on his back, never even seeing Steele's sneak attack coming.

"What the hell are you doing?", Balto shouted, rubbing his sore face.

"You can save it lobo, that friendship crap may have worked on fools like Devil, but I'll never be friends with a wolf like you", Steele snarled, advancing towards Balto, and baring his teeth.

At first, Balto couldn't believe what was happening. He and Steele had seemed to be doing so well, and for a brief moment it had even looked like they could co-exsist together in the same world. But now, they were right back where they had started, with Balto on the ground and Steele attacking him simply because he was a wolf-dog.

"Steele, why are you doing this? I helped you!", Balto growled, outraged by Steele's betrayal.

"You sentimental fool, you should have never let you guard down Balto, because this is what I've been planning to do since the beginning", Steele smirked, slowly moving closer and closer towards the shocked half-wolf.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome, Alaska, 9:05 P.M. Sunday, December 24th, 1922:_**

Earlier that night, Steele sighed to himself as Dixie ran out of the Old Mill to find Doc or Jared, he thought the annoying show dog would never leave him alone.

"Hey boss, we're not really going to ask for Balto's help, are we?", Kaltag had asked, confused about Steele's motives.

"Of course we are, but you don't really think I'm just gonna let Balto take all the glory for this, do you?", Steele had replied, his voice suggestive.

"Steele, you're not making any sense", Star had said, confused.

Steele smiled sinisterly, and then sauntered over to Star's side. "Don't you see Star? Devil has presented us with perfect opportunity. We'll head over to the Great Chasm, with Balto alongside us, and tonight, five of us will go in, but only four of us will come out, _alive_", Steele had explained, before laughing evilly.

"What do you mean?", Kaltag asked, still not getting it.

"We'll head over to the Great Chasm where we'll rescue Jenna, send her back to Nome, and once there are no more witnesses, we'll kill her abductors and push Balto off the side of the cliff, ridding the world of that meddling wolf-dog once and for all", Steele explained, picking up a bone and chewing on it.

Nikki, Kaltag, and Star's mouths fell open in shock. They had been all for chasing Balto and having some fun tormenting him, but what Steele had just suggested was going _way_ too far, not to mention sick and twisted. Steele was suggesting that they help him kill someone, just because he didn't like the wolf-dog.

"You want us to kill him?", Star asked, shocked.

"Sure, you're not going soft on me, are you Star?", Steele asked, a threatening edge to his voice as he snapped the bone in half with his teeth.

"No!", Star quickly replied, shaking his head.

"Good, then we'd better get over to Balto's boat, I want to get this plan started as soon as possible", Steele said, grinning.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome, Alaska, 12:45 A.M. Monday, December 25th, 1922:_**

As Balto took in the full extent of Steele's words, he realized that their temporary truce had been trap from the very beginning, laid not just by Devil and his gang, but by Steele himself. "Boris was right, I can't believe I ever trusted you!", Balto snarled, enraged at the malamute.

"Please, trust is for the weak. The only person you can ever really rely on is yourself. After all, did you really think I would accept any kind of help from you, a lowly half-wolf?", Steele scoffed, unfazed by Balto's angry words.

Balto tried his best to fight back, but between fighting with Devil and dragging Wilson up a cliff, he had already been drained of all his energy, leaving him helpless to stop Steele's onslaught of slaps and punches. Every time Steele hit him, the hybrid was pushed backwards further and further, until Balto realized that Steele was backing him towards the edge of the cliff.

Steele slapped Balto again, and the hybrid flew backwards, into thin air.

Thinking fast, Balto instinctively grabbed onto the ledge, narrowly keeping himself from plunging into the Chasm. Still, Balto could feel his grip on the ledge was waning, and he knew that with hardly any energy, he would let go at any second. To Balto's horror, Steele walked over towards the ledge, and bent over him, grinning.

"Say your prayers Bingo", Steele grinned, preparing to finish Balto like he had originally planned to do with Devil.

"_My name's Balto_", Balto whispered, too tired to speak any louder.

"Do you think I care?", Steele retorted, before raising his right paw again.

Balto knew that Steele was about to hit him one last time, which would send the wolf-dog flying off the edge of the cliff, to his death. Balto closed his eyes, and calmly awaited death, just as Devil and Wilson had done. At least Jenna was finally safe, at least the hybrid could take pride in knowing he had spent the last few days of his life fighting to keep his beloved safe from harm. "_Jenna, my love_", he thought contently.

But just as Steele was about to knock Balto off the edge of the cliff, agonizing pain rippled through the malamute's foreleg, causing the dog to yelp out loud.

Balto opened his eyes again, to see Jenna savagely biting down on Steele's leg, desperately trying to save the life of the dog she loved.

Steele quickly swung his left paw, dislodging her, while he tried to see how bad his injury was.

"Jenna, just forget about me and run!", Balto shouted, while Steele clutched his injured leg.

"You little bitch!", Steele shouted, watching as blood began to pour out of his leg, staining the white snow.

"I'm not just going to let you kill him!", Jenna shouted, ignoring Balto's pleas for her to run away while she still could.

At first, Steele was still mad at the husky for what she had done to his leg, but then he started smirking weirdly at her. The malamute's grin unsettled Jenna, and once again she felt that urge to run away from Steele. Except this time, the feeling was the strongest it had ever been, like whatever her subconscious had been trying to warn her about was about to culminate at that very moment. Still, Jenna wasn't about to run away now and let Balto die at the hands of scumbag like Steele.

Steele looked at the determined little husky, and found himself amused by her. She was so small and frail, she wasn't even worth fighting if it meant killing Balto, but if she wanted to play her little game, Steele was all for it.

"You've just made a big mistake. You've been a very bad dog Jenna, you always have been", Steele said, holding up his bleeding foreleg. "First, you go and make friends with that dirty wolf, and then you run off with a bunch of low life sled dogs, and then you expect me to rescue you?", he growled.

Jenna simply growled back, over half of what the malamute was saying didn't even make any sense, and Jenna was sure that Steele was just trying to play mind games with her.

"All my friends have been beaten up, and now you've bitten me", Steele continued, waving his bleeding paw in the direction of Nikki, Kaltag, and Star, who were still too weak to even stand up. "You know what Jenna? I think you need to be taught a lesson, and I know just the right punishment for you, one that benefits both of us", he finished, before letting his tongue hang out of his mouth.

At that moment, Jenna realized exactly what Steele was implying, and stepped back. "You wouldn't dare!", Jenna snarled, hoping she could bluff Steele into backing off.

"Are you kidding? It's all I've been thinking of since I first met you. I bet you thought you were such hot stuff didn't you? Acting like you were too good for me, playing hard to get all this time, and then running off with that half-breed?", Steele growled, moving closer and closer every second.

As Steele continued to advance towards her, Jenna realized that she had no chance of reasoning with the dog, and with nobody around to save her this time, she prepared herself to fight to the death. Jenna knew that she would rather die than to let Steele have his way with her body. As Jenna continued to step back, baring her teeth, the husky realized that Steele had deliberately backed her into a stone wall, leaving her with no room to maneuver when their fight would inevitably begin.

Watching helplessly as Steele cornered Jenna, Balto's mouth dropped open in horror, as the wolf-dog realized that Steele was even more insane than he had ever imagined. At that moment, Balto didn't care about what happened to him anymore, so long as Jenna was safe.

Pressed against the rock wall, Jenna struggled the best she could as Steele continued to advance towards her, pressing her against the wall. The malamute leaned forward, his face now only a few inches from Jenna's. "Do you still think you're too good for me now, huh Jenna?", Steele sneered, grinning.

"You're crazy!", Jenna yelled.

"Maybe, but I'm the one who came out the winner in all this though, aren't I? Like I told you before Jenna, no matter what game I play, I'm always the champion, and I always will be", Steele replied, gloating. The malamute leaned over closer to force Jenna to kiss him, when he was suddenly interrupted by the sound of someone yelling.

"STEELE! LET HER GO!", a familiar voice shouted.

"**_I Am The Doctor_**", by Murray Gold begins.

Steele and Jenna quickly looked behind them, to see Balto standing on all four feet again, an enraged expression on the hybrid's face. With some new motivation, the wolf-dog had managed to pull himself back onto the cliff face, and was now ready to defend the woman he loved.

Jenna looked surprised at first, before smiling, she knew that Balto would never give up, the hybrid had never let her down before.

"Well, look who finally got a second wind. I guess I can still kill you after all", Steele said, his voice anticipant.

But before Steele could even move forward, Balto lunged at him, moving faster than both Steele or Jenna had ever seen him move before. Balto punched Steele in the face as hard as he could, and the malamute flew backwards, hitting into the very same rock wall he had just pressed Jenna against. Steele shook his head, trying to shake off his light-headed feeling, before he was struck by Balto again, this time landing on his back in the snow. The non-stop blows Balto delivered to him were hard enough to knock the malamute senseless, and the wolf-dog's sudden ferocity had took Steele completely by surprise. Finally, Balto picked up Steele in his mouth, and threw the malamute as hard as he could, not even trying to hold back anymore. Steele landed on his back again, bashing his head against the cold, hard ground. But even after all the wolf-dog had done to him, Steele was still fully conscious, though Balto had succeeded in one thing, the malamute was far too weak to fight back now.

As he saw Balto standing over his body, glaring at him, Steele prepared himself for the worse the wolf-dog could do to him, expecting Balto to deliver the final blow at any second. However, the hybrid only continued to stare at Steele, with an expression that contained a mixture of both hatred and pity. "What I told Devil applies to you too Steele. I won't kill you, but if you ever want to fight me again, come right to me and leave Jenna alone", Balto growled, his eyes blazing.

Normally, Steele would have responded with an arrogant or defiant answer, but the bruised and battered malamute had already been beaten by both Balto and Devil in the same night, so all he did was just nod his head, reluctantly agreeing with the half-wolf.

"_Good_", Balto simply said, his voice cold and hard.

Seeing what had just happened to their leader, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star finally found enough strength to stand up, and bared their teeth at Balto. However, the wolf-dog seemed completely unfazed by the angry sled dogs, and simply growled back at them, twice as hard. After seeing the hybrid's razor sharp teeth, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star immediately backed off - Steele's bodyguards could tell that the wolf-dog was deathly serious that day.

"Unless you want what happened to Steele to happen to you, I suggest you three go make yourselves useful and help your boss get up", Balto said, snarling.

The three dogs quickly nodded their heads, and then ran off to help Steele get to his feet.

Balto sighed, and went to go check on Jenna. Usually the wolf-dog was never this callous or this merciless, but the hybrid had been in enough fights that day, and was ready to call it a night. "Are you okay?", Balto asked softly, concerned.

A slightly shaken-up Jenna nodded her head in reply, and the husky slowly got to her feet.

"Come on Jenna, let's go home", Balto said, before walking off, with Jenna right behind him. And as Balto and Jenna left for Nome, they left Steele and his gang to pick themselves up - bruised, battered, and humiliated.

**((()-()))**

**_Nome, Alaska, 1:30 A.M. Monday, December 25th, 1922:_**

"**_The Doctor Forever_**" by Murray Gold begins.

It took them a little bit longer than usual, especially since they had to walk at the night, but Balto and Jenna eventually made their way back to the hybrid's trawler, just outside of Nome. With the familiar old boat finally in view, Balto decided to break the awkward silence that had fallen over the two friends since they had left the Great Chasm. "Jenna, are you sure you're okay?", Balto asked, concerned.

"I'm fine Balto, besides, I'm not the one who did all the fighting tonight", Jenna replied, annoyed.

At that, Balto fell silent again, and Jenna could tell that the wolf-dog had something else on his mind.

"So, I imagine Steele and his gang are on their way here right now", Jenna said, hoping she could get Balto talking again.

"I doubt it", Balto quietly replied.

"Well, why not?", Jenna asked, curious.

"No offense Jenna, but a wolf-dog and a girl just kicked Steele's tail, he wouldn't even think about attacking us while we still have our guard up", Balto reasoned.

"But we know his secret. We could tell everyone about how he attacked us", Jenna reminded Balto, confused.

"Once again, the other dogs see me as just some half-wolf freak and you as a newcomer to their society, who's already been suspected of running around with me. So it'd be our word against Steele and the others, and who do you think the majority would believe?", Balto asked.

"So, you mean Steele is just going to get away with this?", Jenna realized, completely outraged.

"He won't get away with it entirely Jenna, because he failed in one thing. We're both still alive, and as long as we're alive, that's all that matters", Balto replied, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess, besides, it'll take a whole lot more than Steele to come between us", Jenna replied, grinning.

But instead of smiling back at her, Balto's own smile disappeared, only to be replaced with another expression, filled with nothing but sorrow and dread.

"Balto? What is it, what's wrong?", Jenna asked, worried.

"Jenna, that's the other thing I've been meaning to tell you, about us being friends", Balto began, his voice heavy.

"What about it?", Jenna asked, curious.

"We can't be friends anymore Jenna, it's just too risky for both of us", Balto replied, already knowing that Jenna wouldn't accept the truth easily.

"That's crazy talk!", Jenna argued, before Balto cut her off.

"Is it Jenna? Everything that happened tonight just proves that I'm right. Devil and his goons took you just because they knew I liked you, and Steele used you to get to me too", Balto reminded her. "Don't you see Jenna? People like Steele and Devil will always try to get back at me by hurting the ones I love, and right now, the one I love the most is you", Balto reasoned, hoping he could force Jenna to listen to reason.

At first, the husky wanted to argue further, but she knew that what Balto was saying was true. "But you promised that you'd never leave me", Jenna sobbed, her voice breaking.

"Jenna, people will always be hunting me, and by being with me you're not just putting yourself in danger, you're putting your entire family at risk. Think about your human girl Rosie, she's innocent in all this. Think about what would have happened if Devil or Steele had decided to get back at me by attacking Rosie?", Balto continued, slowly beginning to get through to the husky.

Jenna shuddered at the thought of Devil hunting Rosie, viciously maiming the little girl over something she would never even understand.

Balto looked Jenna, who was now fighting back tears, and he knew that he had made his point. "Do you understand now? Do you understand what you have to do Jenna?", Balto asked.

The husky hesitated for a moment, before eventually nodding her head in agreement.

"After tonight you'll never be able to visit me at the trawler ever again, you'll have to act like you don't even know me, and most important of all, stay away from Steele, and stay out of trouble", Balto explained, stroking Jenna's neck with one of his giant paws.

Jenna continued to nod her head, but Balto suspected the reason the husky wasn't talking was simply because she didn't want to break down in tears in front of him.

"Jenna, I may have been acting when I was talking to Devil earlier, but one thing was true. These last few weeks have been amazing, and none of them would have never happened if I hadn't met you", Balto said, holding Jenna's head in his paws.

The husky looked up at him, and then smiled a bit. "Yeah, they were pretty good, weren't they?", Jenna agreed, smiling a little bit.

"And we've had some great times together, playing games, writing songs, holding tours. So why don't we spend our last night together like how we've been spending the last few weeks, having some fun?", Balto suggested, hoping he could cheer the husky up.

Jenna wiped a tear from underneath her eye, and then nodded.

"Okay", Jenna replied, though her voice was lowered.

"Now come on, I'm sure Boris is worried sick about us", Balto said, smiling.

**((()-()))**

A few minutes later, Balto and Jenna approached the familiar wooden ramp that led to the trawler's main deck, and Balto outstretched his paw, beckoning for Jenna to go before him. "Ladies first", Balto teased.

"Ohh, a ladies man… still not impressed", Jenna replied, rolling her eyes.

"Geez, what does a guy have to do to impress you?", Balto sarcastically replied, chuckling.

As soon as the dogs stepped onboard, Balto heard the familiar voice he had been waiting for.

"BALTO, YOU'RE BACK!", Boris screamed, crying tears of joy. The snow goose quickly ran up and hugged Balto as tightly as he could, having up until then, believed he would never see his son alive again.

"Hey, I promised you I'd come back, didn't I Boris?", Balto replied, grinning.

"_And a wolf always keeps his promises_", Boris whispered, remembering an old fable the goose had heard back in Russia. According to the legend, wolves all across the world were bound by a single pact of honor, and that every self-respecting wolf and wolf-dog hybrid always tried to keep the promises they made, especially to the ones they loved.

Standing only a few feet away, Jenna grinned as she watched the father and son embrace. Even though Jenna had absolutely no idea what Boris was talking about, she had a general idea what the old goose had meant.

"BALTO!", two other voices shouted. To Jenna's surprise, the familiar polar bear brothers, Muk and Luk, bounded across the main deck, and embraced Balto and Boris, crushing the hybrid and the goose between their two large bodies.

Jenna giggled as Boris struggled to free himself from Muk and Luk's grip, swearing in Russian. Even though she had been frightened by the polar bears when they had first met, Jenna had gotten to know them a whole lot better during the past three weeks, and the husky now enjoyed having their company.

"It's so nice to have everyone safe and sound again", Muk said, sighing contently.

Even though the bears where crushing him with their death-grip of a hug, Balto didn't try to resist, after all, the wolf-dog had never been more happy to be back home, with his friends and family.

When Muk and Luk finally released Balto and Boris from their group hug, Muk turned to smile at Jenna, a mischievous grin on the polar bear's face. "Say Jenna, do you know what a night like this calls for?", Muk asked.

"What?", Jenna asked, curious.

"LATE NIGHT SNOWBALL FIGHT!", Muk and Luk shouted simultaneously, giggling.

"Sounds good to me, I bet I could wipe the floor with this guy", Jenna agreed, grinning and pointing at Balto.

"Oh, you are so on!", Balto replied, mock growling.

"Oy vey", Boris mumbled under his breath, rolling his eyes at the canine couple.

"**_He Could Be The One_**", by Miley Cyrus begins.

**((()-()))**

"**_Whoo!_**", Miley Cyrus sings.

Even though it was still the middle of the night, Balto, Jenna, Muk and Luk were scooping up snowballs in their paws and flinging them at each other, while Boris decided to watch from the sidelines. Balto threw with incredible speed and accuracy, but Jenna was a fast runner and dodged the snowballs easily.

"**_Smooth talking, so rocking, He's got everything that a girl's wanting!_**", Cyrus sings.

Standing only a few feet away from Balto and Jenna, Muk and Luk tossed snowballs at each other, and one of them just barely missed hitting Boris's head. "Hey, watch it!", the old goose shouted, annoyed.

"**_Guitar cutie, when he plays it groovy, and I can't keep myself from doing something stupid!_**", Cyrus continues.

Balto threw a snowball at Jenna, and the husky threw another one back just as quickly. But just as she was dodging another snowball, Jenna tripped over a tree root, and disappeared underneath a snowdrift, to Balto's amusement.

"**_Think I'm really falling for his smile, I get butterflies when he says my name, Whoo!_**", Cyrus sings.

Worried about his friend, Balto eventually walked over to check on her, only to pounced on by Jenna, who had only been faking the whole time.

"**_He's got something special! He's got something special! And when he's looking at me, I want to get all sentimental!_**", Cyrus continues.

Taken by surprise, Balto fell backwards, and the two dogs rolled down a nearby hill, laughing and just having a good old time.

Confused, Muk and Luk put down their snowballs, and walked over to where Boris was sitting. "Uncle Boris? What's going on?", Muk asked.

Boris sighed happily, and then smiled at the bears. "Young love", he replied, chuckling.

"**_He's got something special! He's got something special! I can hardly breathe! Something's telling, Telling me, Maybe, He Could Be the One!_**", Cyrus continues.

Boris, Muk, and Luk watched from a distance, as Balto and Jenna reached the end of the hill, and landed on their backs in the snow. Balto and Jenna shook the snow off and laughed for a few more seconds, before scooping up some more snowballs in their paws, and flinging them at each other again.

"Hold still so I can hit you!", Jenna shouted, chasing after Balto.

"Never!", Balto replied, laughing.

The two dogs were playing around like a pair of newborn pups, but they didn't care. If they only had one night left to spend together as friends, they were going to make the best of it.

"Come on uncle Boris, join in!", Muk suggested, giggling, and Luk nodded his head in agreement.

Boris sighed, but eventually the old snow goose got to his feet. "Alright fine, but I'm only doing this once, I don't want you guys bothering me every time you want to have a snowball fight", Boris warned, before scooping a large pile of snow in his wings.

Muk and Luk nodded their heads, and ran off as Boris started unenthusiastically throwing snowballs at them.

"**_He Could Be the One! He Could Be the One! He Could Be the One! He Could Be the One! He Could Be the One!_**", Cyrus finishes.

That night, Balto, Jenna, Muk, Luk, and eventually Boris, threw snowballs at everyone and everything that moved. It was on that night, on Christmas morning of 1922, that Balto felt happiness again for the first time in years. And after that night, Balto wouldn't feel happiness equal to that again for more than two years, not until a cold winter night in 1925 - on the night he would propose to Jenna.

**((()-()))**

**_Author's Note:_**

When I finally got around to writing the climax of this story, I started thinking about who Balto is, and the defining characteristics of the wolf-dog. I would describe Balto as being kind-hearted but also quick-tempered. The wolf-dog is a pacifist, but can also be very dangerous, sometimes lethal, if you make him angry enough. But the hybrid's greatest strength, and sometimes his weakness, is his sense of forgiveness. I believe that Balto would never purposely take another person's life unless he had no other choice, and even then he would still try as he hard as he possibly could to save the individual. So when I first read Cyberwulfe's "**_Puppy Love_**", I loved the idea of Balto choosing to spare Devil and his gang. Even after all they had done to him and to Jenna, Balto still refused to give up his sense of morale, and I consider it to be one of the wolf-dog's noblest moments.

After reading through this chapter I realized that even though they come from completely different worlds, Balto and the Doctor are not so different. And for this reason, I decided Balto's theme for the season should be "**_I Am The Doctor_**" (also known as "**_Next Stop Everything_**"), the Eleventh Doctor's theme from series 5 & 6 of "**_Doctor Who_**", and I actually wound up using the track twice in one chapter. "**_I Am The Doctor_**" officially debuted in "**_The Eleventh Hour_**", when the Doctor scares off the Atraxi, which is sort of the Eleventh Doctor's defining moment in the series. It's no coincidence the theme debuts for the first time during this story's eleventh chapter, but hints of "**_I Am The Doctor_**" can be heard in previous tracks, "**_Roman Paradox_**" and "**_Chicken Casanova_**", and variations of the theme will certainly appear in future episodes.

As for the farewell scene between Balto and Jenna, I opted for the Tenth Doctor's theme "**_The Doctor Forever_**", which is another one of Murray Gold's modern masterpieces, debuting fully in the series 3 episode(s) "**_Human Nature_**" / "**_The Family of Blood_**". But after writing a chapter that contained so much beautiful orchestra music, I ironically chose another pop piece for the final scene - "**_He Could Be The One_**" by Miley Cyrus, which was perfect for Balto and Jenna's snowball fight. While writing this story, I found that just like Big Time Rush's "**_Boyfriend_**", this song's sense of teen innocence perfectly symbolizes Balto and Jenna's crush on each other, and though the snowball fight wasn't in the original "**_Puppy Love_**", I thought it was the perfect way to end the couple's last few hours together.


	12. Chapter 12: Buck

**_Chapter 12: Buck_**

**_Alaskan Wilderness, 3:00 A.M. Monday, February 2nd, 1925:_**

In the days that followed Balto's brawl with Devil, life in Nome went back to normal pretty quickly:

After her snowball fight with Balto was over, Jenna made it back to Nome in time to help Rosie unwrap her Christmas presents, and the little girl received her first toy train that day. Rosie made sure to thank Santa for her gifts, while Thomas and Evelyn never even knew that Jenna was gone, completely unaware that their beloved dog had ever been kidnapped.

Joseph set out for his home in South Dakota the very next day, but on his way to the train station, he was surprised to find that his three new ranch dogs were badly beaten, and some of them were even maimed. But instead of being concerned by this, Joe was amused to find that three champion sled dogs had once again had beaten by one wolf-dog, and decided to work the trio even harder when they got back to his ranch in the USA.

Back in Nome, just as Balto had predicted, Steele and his gang never made another move against Jenna. After Jared and his friends told Doc about how Steele had purposely attacked Balto in the Old Mill the night before, Doc was watching the sled dogs even closer than ever. Still, Steele might not have been able to make another move towards Jenna, but he still made sure Balto was miserable whenever the two rivals were alone.

After arriving back in Nome, Steele told the tale of how he had heroically saved Jenna from Devil and his gang, (leaving a certain half-wolf out of the story, of course). After hearing about how Steele had bravely saved her best friend from Devil's clutches, any doubts Dixie had had about the malamute's integrity quickly disappeared, and her crush on him returned soon after. And unfortunately, she wasn't the only one. After hearing of Steele's daring rescue mission, Blaze was even more obsessed with Steele than ever.

Meanwhile, Balto and Jenna wanted more than anything to tell Doc about Steele's attack on them, but they knew that they had no real proof of the malamute's wrongdoing, so all they could do was to try to avoid Steele whenever they could.

In the two years that followed, Jenna reluctantly obeyed Balto's wishes, and kept away from the wolf-dog entirely. It was painful for both of them, especially since they had just begun to realize how much they cared about each other, but it was unfortunately essential. Deep down, Jenna knew that Balto was right, it was simply too dangerous for the husky to be around him, especially with Rosie and her family being innocent bystanders that dogs like Steele could use against them.

Leaving Balto had been one of the hardest things Jenna had ever done, and the heartbreak that followed hurt even worse than anything Steele or Devil could have ever done to her. Balto felt the exact same pain, since he had spent nearly a month trying to confess his feelings to the dog he loved, only to have her cruelly torn away from him by the hands of fate. But over time, Balto and Jenna's hearts eventually healed, and they went on with their lives, with Balto living as an outcast, and Jenna as just an ordinary housedog. But still, Jenna knew that even though they couldn't be together as a couple, Balto was always watching over her. Jenna knew that every time she felt like someone was watching her from afar, that it was Balto was keeping her safe from danger, just like how he had done all those years ago.

By the early winter of 1925, Balto and Jenna were now full-grown adults, and Balto had considered on multiples occasions reconciling with Jenna, but decided against it. After two whole years, he had wondered if Jenna had already moved on and fallen in love with another dog, or if he was even still her type anymore. But after the magical night they had spent underneath Nome's hospital, the wolf-dog had hope again.

When Jenna had followed him all the way into the woods, saved him from a grizzly bear, and then gave him her bandanna for good luck, Balto knew for sure that she still shared feelings for him, just like he did. And when Balto had been lying in the middle of a bottomless chasm, faced with his own death, along with the deaths of countless others, he had thought a lot about his relationship with Jenna, how it had blossomed when they were kids, died down over time, and how it was just rekindling now.

Jenna had been the thing that had kept him going throughout the serum run, and she was the very same reason he had worked up enough courage to propose that night. And as Balto laid by the her side, thinking about old times, he couldn't help but let his mind wonder, thinking about what was next in their mixed-up, crazy lives.

"Balto, what time is it?", Jenna whispered, curious.

Balto stared up at the full moon, using it's position in the night sky like a sundial. "It looks like it's around 3:00", the hybrid replied.

"Then we'd better be getting back, Rosie's parents have probably noticed I'm gone by now", Jenna said, standing up.

Balto sighed, and stood up too. The wolf-dog wished more than anything that he and Jenna could just lie there on top of the hill all night, but he knew that all things had to come to an end eventually. Balto also knew that he couldn't put off going home forever, and that staying would only be trying to delay the inevitable. Balto yawned, and followed Jenna as the couple began their long trek back to Nome. Perhaps, if they were lucky, they could get at least two or three hours worth of sleep before the sun rose again.

During their entire walk home, Balto was silent, thinking about everything that had happened in the past, and his uncertainty about the future. And after another 30 minutes, Balto's boat finally came into view, in the exact same place it had been since Balto and Jenna's youth.

"Well, I guess this is good-bye, for now anyway", Jenna whispered, her voice reluctant.

"Jenna, before you go, there's something I want to give you first", Balto said.

"What?", Jenna asked, curious.

But instead of answering, all Balto did was lean forward, and press his lips against Jenna's, kissing her again for the third time that night. But this kiss felt entirely different to Jenna, it was much more forceful and hasty than the last one, as if the wolf-dog felt like he only had a few minutes left to live. After a few more moments, Balto slowly pulled away from Jenna, and sighed.

"That was a good gift", Jenna whispered, feeling lightheaded. "Balto?", she added.

"Hmm", Balto replied.

"Whatever happens tomorrow, we'll face it together, just like we always have", Jenna said, smiling.

Balto nodded his head, though Jenna could tell that her words weren't really having any effect on the hybrid.

After a few more tearful good-byes, Jenna left for town, and the wolf-dog watched her leave from the main deck of the trawler. Ironically, Balto realized that he had went in a full circle, he had watched Jenna arrive in Nome from his boat, and now he was watching her leave for the last time from his boat. Balto didn't want to tell Jenna, because he was afraid of making her break down again, but he still believed that he would never see the husky again after that night. Balto knew that when the next day would come, Steele surely would seek him out and then a battle between them would begin, a fight that only one of them could survive - and Balto wasn't even sure he would be the victor. He had bested Steele in a fight before, twice actually, but at that moment, the hybrid felt too tired to do anything except get some much-needed sleep.

Balto tiredly greeted Boris, Muk, and Luk, wishing them all a good night, before going inside the cabin, where his trusty blanket/rug was waiting for him, as usual. Balto laid down on the rug, and closed his eyes. Since he was finally alone again for the first time in days, the wolf-dog let his mind wonder. "_How ironic is it that a dog finally proposes to the woman he loves, just in time to die?_", he pondered to himself.

Balto had fought hard to keep Jenna calm and happy the whole time they had been walking home. Since Jenna had refused to believe the truth earlier, Balto had decided not to bring up the subject of Steele again. But the wolf-dog knew that Steele _would_ come for him, it was only a matter of _when_. After all, Steele had deliberately sabotaged the trail to send the team off course, to their deaths. It meant that after years of feuding, the malamute had finally snapped. Steele would know that Balto was alive by now, either by the news of the delivery, or from Nikki, Kaltag, and Star themselves.

Balto had always known that Steele hated him, and the hybrid felt the same way. But he had no idea until a few hours ago that Steele was crazy enough to sacrifice his own team just to get back at him. But deep down, Balto had always kind of suspected it. The wolf-dog had a sort of talent, a part of his wolfish instincts that allowed him to read other peoples' auras. Just like what Balto had told Jenna when they kids, each person's aura gave off a certain flavor, and the hybrid could distinct these flavors and sense whether someone was good or evil. Steele's aura was by far one of the most complex and difficult to read Balto had ever seen. It was like Steele was constantly fighting his dark side, and that the malamute's conscience was always just barely keeping him from committing the ultimate evil, murder. Balto had hoped that someday he could befriend Steele, and that maybe the lifelong feud between them would finally come to an end. But after that night, all hopes the hybrid had of a peaceful resolution were crushed.

"_Oh, It'll end all right_", Balto thought dryly. When Balto had crossed Steele, he had dared to disobey him, and tried to deliver the medicine anyway, and Steele had snapped. Balto didn't know what had happened to Steele in the first place to cause him to hate wolves so much, but he also knew that he didn't care. The one thing Balto knew for sure, the malamute was even more dangerous than ever. Balto imagined Steele bursting inside the boat at that very moment, poised to kill, with a wild evil grin curled onto his face.

Balto had heard legends about famous wolf battles. One of them was featured in an 19th century novel by the famous author, Jack London. In which, Buck, an aspiring sled dog, had a fight to the death with nemesis, another sled dog named Spitz. Only one of them could walk away from the battle, and Spitz had lost. But as Balto continued to think about their fictional fight, he couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Buck and Spitz's roles were reversed? Balto hardly knew anything about fighting, after all, he had only just embraced his wolf-half a few hours ago. He wasn't nearly ready for a fight with a champion sled dog like Steele. The hybrid knew that he didn't stand a chance. Steele was both bigger and stronger than him. Outbrawned, Balto weighed his options. The wolf-dog was faster and craftier than the malamute, but Steele would probably have Nikki, Kaltag, and Star to back him up, just like he always did. The thought temporarily distracted Balto. Would Steele even allow them back into his gang? His most loyal followers had crossed him too, just like Balto had, but if Steele confronted them, Balto had no doubt that they would beg for his forgiveness.

"_Steele may be evil, but he's no fool. After tonight, he knows he's gonna need help to take me down_", Balto thought, growling to himself as he thought of the different tatics Steele would use. The malamute would have to sneak up on him, because Balto would just sense him coming if he approached him directly. Steele would have to act quickly, have his cronies surround Balto and pin him down long enough to go in for the kill.

As the minutes ticked by, Balto continued to imagine thousands of scenarios, and none of them were good. He could probably take down a few of Steele's gang. Star and Nikki were the easiest targets, but Steele and Kaltag would be a whole lot stronger. Balto would have to move fast, ducking and weaving while always keeping his eyes on the most important dog, Steele. And then, as reality hit him, Balto realized that it would be impossible. The wolf-dog's heart sank as he realized that there was nothing he could do. Sure, Balto could try and fight, fight to the very end if he wanted to, but it still wouldn't make any difference. It was not so strange that Balto could think so calmly about his own death, he had done it many times before over the past two years. Finally, the hybrid just gave up. "_I'm gonna die_", he finally thought, sighing.

As Balto admitted to himself that he had no chance, the hybrid still managed to find the tiniest bit of satisfaction. "_But I won't go down without a fight_", he thought grimly. The further he fell into despair, the harder Balto had to fight to keep from falling apart. The wolf-dog had to remain strong, because he knew that Jenna was counting on him. "_Jenna_", Balto thought. He had risked his life to save Jenna dozens of times, and she had done the same for him. He could imagine Jenna lying over his dead, mutilated, body, the red fur around her face darkened by her tears. Jenna would be devastated if he died, and she would probably try to take on Steele herself as an act of vengeance.

"_No!_", Balto thought, growling at the idea of Jenna fighting alone against Steele. Balto suddenly had the urge to howl, but this time didn't suppress it. The hybrid got to his feet, and ran onto the main deck, and started howling at the moon. The full moon was beautiful that night, instead of it's usual gray color, it was glowing bright red-orange. Balto's howl reverberated for miles, across the forest, past the mountains, valleys, and frozen rivers.

Balto, suddenly feeling exhausted, walked back inside the cabin. Balto had been so busy thinking, he had forgotten all about sleeping. Realizing that he hadn't slept in over two days, since before he left on his trip, Balto laid down again, and slowly let every muscle in his body relax. Whatever tomorrow, or rather a few hours from then (since it was already past 3:00 in the morning), would bring, he would face it head on. "_Unless of course, he decides to just kill me while I sleep_", Balto thought sourly. Balto took one last look around, and then closed his eyes, letting himself drift off to sleep.

**((()-()))**

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away from Nome, a familiar white wolf howled at the full moon, in response to Balto's howl. The wolf had been there for Balto when the hybrid needed him the most, and pretty soon, Balto would need him again.

TO BE CONTINUED...

**((()-()))**

**_Author's Note_**: 

"**_Salvation, Parts 2 & 3_**" will be posted in a few weeks (which are both mercifully shorter). If you've read this story all the way to the end, I thank you for your patience, and I once again apologize for writing this 125 page story, but then again TV pilots are always twice as long as regular episodes. Anyway, the following is a complete list of Heritage of the Wolf: Season 1 episodes, stretching from 2011 to 2013. Approximately half of this season's episodes are adapted from Cyberwulfe fanfics, and half are my own original stories. Until next time, The Cool Kat.

1. "**_Salvation, Part 1_**" *

2. "**_Salvation, Part 2_**"

3. "**_Salvation, Part 3_**"

4. "**_The Lake_**"

5. "**_Da Svidanya, Natalya, Part 1_**" *

6. "**_Da Svidanya, Natalya, Part 2_**" *

7. "**_Bipolar_**"

8. "**_Lone Star, Part 1_**" **

9. "**_Lone Star, Part 2_**" **

10. "**_The Call of the Wild_**"

11. "**_Reunion, Part 1_**" *

12. "**_Reunion, Part 2_**" *

13. "**_Survival of the Fittest, Part 1_**"

14. "**_Survival of the Fittest, Part 2_**"

* = Adapted from original Cyberwulfe story.

** = Crossover episode.


	13. Chapter 13: Acknowledgements

**_Chapter 13: Acknowledgements:_**

I hearby dedicate this mini-novel to the people who helped to inspire my very first Balto story, and the people who continue to inspire billions of people everyday:

**((()-()))**

1. **_Balto_** - Though the purebred husky wasn't really half-wolf in reality, he sure had the spirit of one. The beloved dog helped to save dozens of children, and I hope that the Universal Studio's and Amblin Animation's personification of the sled dog did him justice.

2. **_Togo_** - Though the heroic sled dog is often overshadowed by his fellow dog, Balto, Togo was also a hero in the 1925 serum run, traveling over 250 of 675 miles to get the medicine as far as the village of Golovin. However, don't feel too bad for Togo, I'm already writing him into one of my future stories (Season 2, Episode 1: **_Vengeance_**).

3. **_Gunnar Kaasen_** - It takes a lot of guts to relinquish your sense of control over a bad situation and simply follow the instincts of your dogs, which is the unbelievable task that Gunnar Kaasen was faced with on the final night of the serum run. Instead of cracking under the extreme pressure like many mushers would have, Gunnar made the decision to trust Balto and make him the lead dog for the rest of the trip, a decision that would ultimately save dozens of lives.

4. **_Leonhard Seppala_** - Though Leonhard and Togo were often overshadowed by their better-known counterparts, Gunnar and Balto, the musher and his lead dog performed valiantly, and helped to achieve the success of the serum run, so don't fret Leonhard, there's a place for you in my stories too.

5. **_My Loved Ones_** - Without the help of my friends and family, this story might have never gotten past the very first draft. Emily, thanks for the helpful ideas about Dixie, Sylvie, and Jenna's new personalities. Tom and Jeff, thanks for helping me create and develop the character of Blaze (who is of no relation to the dog from the movie!).

6. **_iWolf231_** - Thank you for unknowingly inspiring me to keep going in my work. When August 2011 came by, I was shocked to find you were retiring from , we'll all miss you iWolf.

7. **_Cyberwulfe_** - I honor this veteran author for getting me hooked on Balto fanfiction in the first place, over three years ago. Though your work was sometimes unconventional, from "**_Puppy Love_**" to "**_Blizzard Blackout_**", I was thoroughly hooked on your stories. I also applaud your nobility, for including some of your friends' stories too, Goldberg, Canis J. Lupus, and Jason Wolfman.

8. **_Jason Wolfman _**- I honor this other veteran author for creating the sinister Band Saga ("**_Newcomer From The Shadows_**", "**_White Fur, Blue Eyes, Dark Heart_**", "**_A Cold War_**"), a three part trilogy that continues to influence Balto-related fanfiction over 15 years after it was written, in works such as the 2006 story, "**_Newcomer: The Story of Kavik_**", written by Baltoluver63 and "**_Balto: Of Wolves & Men_**" by Eagle205. Band was a villain that you loved to hate, and the malevolent malamute will surely being making an appearance later in my stories, along with a familiar German Sheppard named Kavik who has mysterious ties to Balto's past.

**((()-()))**

**_Copyright:_**

1. Balto, Jenna, Steele, Nikki, Kaltag, Star, Dixie, Sylvie, Boris, Muk, Luk, Rosie, Morse, Gunnar Kaasen, and Doc are copyrighted to Universal Studios and Amblin Animation.

2. Devil, Wilson, Cookie, and Jared are copyrighted to Cyberwulfe and are not to be used without his permission.

3. Evelyn Jones, Thomas Jones, Joseph Jones, James Avery, Blaze, Derek, Jimmy, Mac, and Rocky are copyrighted to The Cool Kat, and are not to be used without my permission.

**((()-()))**

**_Licensing:_**

1. "**_Doctor Who XI_**, **_A Lonely Decision_**, **_Little Amy_**, **_All The Strange, Strange Creatures (The Trailer Music)_**, **_A Cab For Amy Pond_**, **_Martha's Theme_**, **_Can I Come With You?_**, **_Little Amy: The Apple_**, **_Amy's Starless Life_**, **_Chicken Casanova_**, **_Rose's Theme_**, **_I Am The Doctor_**, and **_The Doctor Forever_**", are copyrighted to Silva Records and BBC studios.

2. "**_See You Again_**, **_Rock Star_**, **_Let's Get Crazy_**, **_He Could Be The One_**", are copyrighted to Walt Disney Records.

3. "**_Balto Brings The Medicine_**", is copyrighted to Universal Records.

4. "**_Boyfriend_**", is copyrighted to Nickelodeon Records.


End file.
